A Heroe's Return
by ziva2012
Summary: Jack is back in this sequel to "Fallen Hero". Author's note: This story is being re-posted to correct punctuation problems.
1. Chapter 1

"A Hero's Return"

Chapter one

For the second evening in a row Mr. and Mrs. Jack O'Neill were in bed, and it was only seven o'clock. And he was asleep. She really couldn't blame him for being tired. They had just spent the past four hours making love….a repeat of yesterday.

At first passion had distracted her, and she hadn't missed her baby son all that much, but now, as Jack lay next to her softly snoring, Sam could think about nothing else.

For almost seven months there had been just her and Daniel Jacob. She had spent every free minute taking care of him, not going out except to work or to run errands. Even then she took him with her. When she went to work he stayed in the base daycare center. And on her days off she took him grocery shopping with her, or to the post office, the car wash, wherever she needed to go. But for the past forty-eight hours she'd been separated from him, and now she was missing him something awful!

"What's wrong?" Jack's voice startled her a bit. She turned her head to look at him, seeing the concern in his eyes, for which she was grateful.

"I miss our son," she said, sniffing back a tear.

Jack turned on his side, facing her. He looked at her lovely face, wondering how he'd gotten so lucky? This gorgeous, smart, brave, kind woman was now his wife! He had just been dreaming about their wedding day, a day he would never forget.

_It was a perfect day in Purgatory. Colorado, that is. They stood in the center of the garden behind the Victorian B&B and said their vows. A small group of people were gathered there with them to witness and to celebrate their union. _

_Folding tables, draped in white linen tablecloths and festively decorated with vases of freshly cut flowers and colorful dishes, had been set up on one side of the grassy yard. Everyone was dressed nicely, the men in light-colored suits and the women in pastel dresses and large airy hats. Even Cassie, whose mother swore she would never see her daughter in anything but jeans again, had on a dress, and little DJ was dressed in a light blue shorts and shirt set with a matching hat that shaded his fair face from the bright sunlight. _

_The oldest male among them, Jack's new friend with the white hair and the distinctive Minnesotan accent, presided over their nuptials. And after he and Sam recited their marriage vows, Olaf Anderson pronounced them man and wife. Everyone applauded and smiled, wishing the two a long life together. And then Mrs. Anderson, who had stood to one side during the ceremony, stepped forward and told them all to mingle for a bit, while she put out the food. _

"I said I miss our son," Sam repeated, giving Jack a worried look. She wondered what he was thinking about with such intensity.

Jack suddenly leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Then I think we should go home."

"Really? You wouldn't mind if we left early?"

"Mind?! Of course not. I miss him too. And I think it's high time he and I got better acquainted. But first…." Jack leaned over and kissed her again, but this time the kiss was not so gentle. Never the less, Sam couldn't forget what a fool she'd been.

"It's my fault your son doesn't know you," she said sadly. Even his passionate kiss was not enough to erase the memory of what she'd done to him…how unfair she'd been and how stupid.

"It's my fault too. But let's not dwell. How about we leave early in the morning? We can be home by lunchtime." Colorado Springs had never really stopped being his home. Somehow he had suspected all along that living here was just temporary. Now he and Sam were married, and now they would go back to Colorado Springs, because that's where Sam's job was, and because…if he was honest….that's where his heart was.

"Yes, I'd like that." They had left DJ with Cassie, but of course Janet was there most of the time to supervise. So she wasn't worried about the care he was being given. It was just that she missed him. He was beginning to eat meats now, and she had bought these little jars of minced chicken and beef for him to try. But now someone else was having the fun of seeing him smear the food all over the tray or rub it in his hair. She loved the look on his face when he did things like that, because he looked just like Jack, when Jack was being recalcitrant and stubborn.

"I should take a shower before I go to sleep. Wanna join me?" she asked. She would see her baby soon, and suddenly she was feeling much better!

"You have to ask?"

Jack had already removed his prosthesis, so Sam needed to help him into the bathroom. At first he had been embarrassed for her to see him without it on, but gradually she had convinced him that she really was okay with it, and that she didn't think any less of him because of his missing limb. So now he could enjoy this time with his new wife without any inhibitions, and he intended to do just that.

The shower stall was small even for one person, so first Sam removed the little chrome and plastic stool Jack normally sat on while he bathed. "Come on," she said, "stand over by the wall and I'll do all the work," she told him, smiling to herself. So often when they made love, Jack took the lead. This time she wanted to be in charge.

"Okay." Jack wasn't sure what she had in mind, but he went in first, leaning on Sam's arm as he moved to the back wall. While he rested his back against the cool tiles, she soaped herself up. Then she rinsed off, while Jack watched her every move, smirking when she caught him looking at her breasts.

He was getting turned on just from looking at her naked body. He thought she had a beautiful body. In fact, he thought it was even better since she'd given birth to DJ. Now she was not so thin. Now she had the curves of a mature woman. "They're back to normal now," he observed, although he could tell her breasts were still bigger than when he'd first met her. Back then she'd been all legs and big blue eyes.

"I know; they were nicer when I was nursing."

"I didn't say that," he replied as she began washing his chest and arms with a soapy sponge.

Sam snorted. "I know how you men think. You like women with big tits." Jack grinned, but he didn't say a thing. Sam leaned over to wash his lower extremities, being careful not to rub his stump too hard. When she was finished she told him to turn around.

With her help he turned to face the wall, with his palms flat against it on either side of his head. As she scrubbed the hard planes of his back, she kissed his shoulders and the back of his neck. Next she moved lower, massaging his lower back gently but firmly, because she knew about the backaches he got on a daily basis. And then she washed his cute little butt, using the sponge to rub it vigorously till the skin turned pink. Sam giggled when he flexed his butt muscles, making the two mounds bounce just a bit.

"You've got a nice ass, Jack," she told him appreciatively. She liked a man with nice ass, one she could squeeze while they were making love.

"I bet you say that to all the guys."

"If I do, I'm not telling you," she responded, and then she gave him a playful swat on his tight little bottom.

Jack grunted. "Do that again, and I may come all over this wall," he said with a short laugh. He wasn't really kidding. Having Sam wash him was a real turn on, and he was already at half-mast.

"Mmmmm, that's something I'd like to see," she purred, her lips brushing his ear, while her hand fondled one firm ass cheek. "I've heard that a man can stay hard after coming, if you massage his prostate during ejaculation. Would you like me to conduct an experiment to see if it's true?" she asked as she slid her hand in between his firm buttocks. She washed him there, and then she dropped the sponge to the shower floor, replacing it with her hand.

"I guess. Sure, if you're careful." He felt her hand move down past his asshole to his testicles and he sucked in a breath. He had never been much for this sort of thing, but if Sam wanted to do it, then he was willing. Besides, having her fingers pressing on the underside of his testicles was driving him wild, so much so that he thought he'd agree to just about anything!

But then suddenly her hand was gone. "What the….?!" He looked back over his shoulder to see what she was doing.

Sam turned off the shower. "Stay here. I'll be right back!" she said, and then she opened the shower door and stepped out.

"Where would I go?" he joked. But actually it was the truth. He was sort of stuck there. She had taken his shower stool, and his crutches were in the bedroom. So unless he hopped on one foot on the wet tile floor…which could result in his falling and breaking his good leg or an arm, or even his noggin…he was stuck here for the duration.

Meanwhile, Sam hurried into the bedroom where she got a tube of lubricant and a small vibrator out of the drawer of the nightstand. And after applying plenty of lube to the curved vibrator, she took it into the shower.

"Hurry up, Sam, it's getting cold in here," he said as he looked down at his shrinking dick. But when he saw what she was holding, he forgot about his fading erection. "What's that?" he asked nervously.

"Something I bought just for you. It's a prostate massager," she said as she turned it on. "Now spread 'em!" she ordered, and Jack moved his thighs apart, clinching his butt muscles against the intrusion of the cold, plastic dildo.

"Relax! This won't hurt. In fact, I think you're gonna like it a lot." Then, as she kissed the back of his right shoulder, she pushed the specially-shaped vibrator in as far as it would go. She heard him expel a breath, and then she felt his body relax.

"Okay?"

"You can say that again." It was more than okay; it was awesome!

Sam began rotating the vibrator to the left and then to the right, listening for his next reaction. When it came, it was abrupt and affirmative. "There! That's it, hold it right there!" he ordered, and so she did.

"Feel good?"

"Oh, yah," he breathed out. Jack hadn't been sure about this at all, but now that the thing was in there, he had to admit it did feel pretty damned good. And then Sam angled the thing just right and pushed down a little harder, and he thought it was the best damned invention since the wheel. "Jeezus fucking Christ that feels good!"

"See, I told you. Now let's see if we can make it even better." Sam held the vibrator with her left hand, while she reached around to his front with the other one, wrapping her fingers around his cock. Her hand, which was slick with lube, easily slid up and down his penis, which grew rapidly as Jack became more and more aroused.

Sam leaned her chin on the back of Jack's shoulder. She could feel the tension building in his body now, his back muscles and his butt seemed very firm against her chest and belly. As she leaned into him, pressing her breasts against the taut muscles of his lean back, she massaged his cock, feeling it grow large and hard in her hand. Every now and then she'd reach down and give his balls a gentle squeeze and tug, and it wasn't long before she felt the soft sacs grow hard too, like two nuts.

It wasn't long after that his cock began to pulse in her hand, as his cum squirted onto the shower wall. Sam kept her hand on his penis as he came, and she kept applying pressure to his prostate with the vibrator too. And to the delight of both of them, his cock remained hard.

Once he had recovered slightly from his climax, she removed the vibrator and tossed it out onto the bath mat. "Turn around," she requested. Jack put his arm across Sam's shoulders, as he swung his body around. And once he was facing her, she moved the stool back into the shower. Jack sat down on it, and Sam turned her back to him, straddling his thighs. Then she reached down between her legs and guided the head of his erection into her snug opening. Sam lowered herself down on him gently at first, until her body adjusted to his size, and then she began riding him.

The angle was creating the most exquisite friction to the underside of his penis that Jack had ever felt. He held her hips tightly, afraid she might stop, pulling her down as he lifted his hips up toward her body using his strong butt muscles. Aware that he must be bruising her hips, he moved his hands up to her breasts, where he held her plentiful mounds like two ripe cantaloupes, her prominent nipples protruding between his fingers.

This position felt amazing, and he would have liked to continue forever. But he realized that he was going to come again very soon, so he moved one hand to Sam's pussy, where he massaged her clit with his middle finger. And though it had only been a few minutes since his last orgasm, he came again, and this time Sam was coming too.

Afterward she slumped in his arms, leaning back against his strong chest. Jack in turn leaned back against the wall, glad for the support it afforded him. He felt exhausted but very, very happy.

After a couple of minutes, Jack had recovered enough to notice that he was getting cold. So he kissed the side of Sam's head and spoke into her left ear. "No matter how nice this is, I think we better get out now."

Sam nodded, and knowing how sensitive he was after his release, she was very careful as she stood up, allowing his penis to slip out of her gradually. Then she gave him one quick kiss on the top of his head, before she stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, she headed into the bedroom.

There was semen on his cock and his scrotum, so Jack gingerly washed it off. Then he got out, using the crutch she had brought and placed just outside the shower door. And once he had dried off sufficiently, he made his way into the bedroom.

Sam had disappeared, so once Jack was dressed in his pajama bottoms and an undershirt, he went to find her.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

When Jack found her Sam was staring at the fire, a new log, which she had obviously placed there, crackling in the fireplace.

"I thought you were going to bed?"

"Not sleepy yet. You go on," she said, still staring into the flames.

"It's early. I can stay up a while." Jack hobbled over to the sofa using just the one crutch. Then he sat down and put his arm around her slender shoulders. "What's going on in that excellent brain of yours?"

"I was just wondering where we're gonna live," Sam said as she gazed up at him. God, how she loved his face! It had a deep worry line between his eyebrows and two long furrows in his cheeks, and dimples too. And he always seemed to have a tan, even when he wasn't out in the sun much. She also loved how dark his eyes got when he was deep in concentration or in a serious mood, like now.

Jack could recall telling Olie that he would be moving soon and why. But even then he hadn't been able to tell the old man where they'd be living. He remembered clearly what Olaf had said to him.

"_That's okay, Jack. _

"_I'm sorry, Olie. I really like the place a lot. Sam does too, but her job is in Colorado Springs."_

"_I can still count on you to bring me some of your wonderful pottery, can't I?" Olie asked._

"_You bet 'cha!"_

"_That's good, because them things sell like hot cakes!" the white-haired man told him with an enthusiastic chuckle._

"_You gave my stuff a chance when no one else would, and I really appreciate it. And now you've offered to marry me and Sam. You're a really good friend, Olie." _

"_Believe me, it will be a honor. I've never met a finer man than you, Jack. And that lady of yours is priceless. Besides, since we moved to Colorado I haven't married anyone, and I sorta miss it."_

"_I didn't even know you were a minister, Olaf."_

"_Yup, been one since nineteen seventy-three. I've married fifty-four couples and Christened one hundred and fourteen babies since then."_

"_Wow! That's cool!"_

"_Yup!"_

"_I'll miss you, Olie."_

"_I'll miss you too, Jack, but you need to go. A man isn't whole until he finds a good woman to love him. Sam's your other half, Jack, so do whatever it takes to keep her."_

"_I intend to be the best husband I can be, Olie. I won't make the same mistakes I made the last time," Jack vowed._

"Jack, where are we going to live?" Sam asked again, pulling him out of his reverie.

"I still have the house in the Springs. We could live there," he suggested, although he really didn't think she'd go for the idea.

"I thought you sold it!" she responded excitedly.

"Not yet. It's listed, but there haven't been any offers." The truth was there hadn't been any offers he could bring himself to accept.

"Jack, that's wonderful! I love that house!" She had loved it from the time she first saw it. She especially loved the big back yard that looked out on the forest preserve. SG-1 had had a few cookouts there, and they had played volley ball in the grassy back yard. She thought it was the perfect place to raise their son and maybe other children too.

"Okay, then that's where we'll live!" He felt relieved that the problem was settled so easily. Now the old place would come to life with the sound of DJ's laughter. And maybe they would have other children too! Jack held her tighter, imagining what it would be like to see her fat and sassy with baby number two. It was something he'd missed with DJ.

"Oh! We need to change DJ's last name," Sam said suddenly.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Thank you for thinking of it…for wanting to do it."

"Of course I want to do it. You're his father. Now make love to me, Jack," Sam requested, her eyes sparkling with more than just the firelight.

Jack moved off the sofa and knelt on the floor, where Sam sat on his thighs facing him, her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. They kissed passionately, ignoring the need to breathe. At the same time he began gathering up her night gown in his big hands. He rolled it up over her bare bottom before lifting it up over her breasts, while she pulled her arms out of the short sleeves. Then he tugged the pink gown over her head, before tossing it behind him. Now she was gloriously naked in his arms, and she belonged to him. Jack was beside himself with happiness.

Sam caressed his head in her hands when he dipped down and took one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking the tender nubbin until it was distended and firm. Then he treated the other one in the same manner, circling the areola with his wet tongue first, before surrounding it with his lips and teeth. Teasing the tender skin, he bit down gently, and then he licked over the indentations his teeth had left behind, before sucking as much of her as he could get into his mouth.

Suddenly he let go of her breast and leaned forward, depositing her on her back on the rug. "Oh!" she cried out as she fell backward, her legs separated. She was completely exposed to his heated gaze, but Sam didn't mind. On the contrary, she wanted to entice him because couldn't wait to have his talented tongue work its magic on her. "See something you like, mister?" she asked in a seductive tone of voice, as she drew one delicate finger across her moist folds.

"Always," Jack responded with a smug smirk, and then he bent forward and began raining kisses on her belly, his thin lips puckering and sucking every so often, leaving an occasional red welt on her pale skin.

Sam squirmed under him, wishing he would stop teasing her. So when he finally began to move closer to her pussy, she was unable to hide her excitement. "Yesss!" she hissed, pushing his head down with her hands, until his mouth was poised over her clit. But he still didn't give her what she wanted. "What!" she screamed.

"Mind doing me at the same time?" he asked.

"Of course not. Turn around!" she urged, and then she scooted over until her head was closer to him.

After quickly removing his pants, Jack turned around and straddled her shoulders, his genitals poised over her face as he rested on his knees. Then he leaned forward, supporting himself on his forearms. Wrapping his arms around her thighs, he began licking her folds, as she guided his cock into her mouth.

The warm, wet sanctuary of her mouth felt fantastic on his aching cock, and he knew he could come in an instant if he allowed himself to, but Jack was determined to make this last a while longer. So when she grabbed his ass in her hands and pulled him toward her, he spread his knees farther apart, lowering himself even closer to her face, shoving another inch of his erection into her mouth.

Sam tilted her head back and opened her mouth wider, accepting as much of Jack's cock as she could. All the while she was using her tongue to lathe and lick his shaft. Soon he was dipping his hips up and down, fucking her mouth with his cock, while his tongue was thrusting in and out of her tight hole. Then, as he felt his orgasm getting close, he switched his attention to her clit, flicking the little peak several times with the tip of his tongue, before sucking it into his mouth. Then he hummed.

With the suddenness of an earthquake, Sam's orgasm exploded, her cry of ecstasy sounding choked, her fingernails digging into the soft flesh of his ass as she came. Feeling a great need to have Jack even deeper inside her, Sam's arms pulled him down on top of her, her thighs moving together instinctively, trapping his head in between them.

As Sam climaxed, he felt the familiar hot surge of his jism as it raced along his cock. He came in her mouth and down her throat, his cock jerking and pumping his life's force into her, until he had no more to give. Sam's throat constricted rapidly, swallowing until she could no longer hold her breath. Then she let him slip out of her mouth, turning her head to kiss his thigh, as a trickle of semen rolled down her chin.

Later, once they were in bed, Jack laid awake for hours watching Sam sleep. He still couldn't believe how lucky he was to have her and his son. Tomorrow they'd be going home, and then they'd be a real family. And though Jack tried to be optimistic, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen this time to destroy his happy life?

The next day they left the little house in Durango, taking just his stuff that would fit in the back of his new pickup truck. He would have to come back for the larger stuff, like the kiln, but he could do that anytime.

When they reached Janet's house that afternoon, Sam literally ran to DJ who was in Janet's arms. The second he saw her he flashed his Mommy a smile, showing off the two new teeth he had cut while she and Jack were gone. "Honey, look! He's cut two teeth!"

"Lemme see," Jack said as he took the boy from Janet. He looked in DJ's mouth first, giving the two pearly-white teeth his approval. And then he lifted DJ's shirt and blew a raspberry on the baby's belly. DJ giggled hysterically. "You remind me of your Mommy. Yes, you do!" Jack told him.

"Why, does Sam giggle when you blow on her tummy too?" Janet asked, smirking.

"Janet!" Sam cried, embarrassed by her friend's naughtiness.

"I don't kiss and tell," Jack responded in mock indignation, and then he carried the baby outside, while Sam stayed behind to talk to Janet for a bit.

"Where's Cassie? I want to pay her for babysitting."

"No, you will not! She did it because she loves him. She went to Lisa's to practice a dance step. Their recital is next Friday night. You'll go, won't you?"

"Are you kidding!"

"She should be back soon. Can you stay? I've got an apple coffeecake in the oven."

"No thanks. I think I've gained enough weight for this month as it is."

"You know you may never be as thin as you were before you had DJ."

"I know, but I don't want to get as big as a whale either!"

"What about when you're pregnant with DJ's little brother or sister?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Until then, I'm not eating sweets."

Meanwhile, out in the garden Jack was talking a mile a minute to his son. "DJ, I know I haven't been here for you very much so far, but things are gonna change now that your Mommy and me are married. You see it's like this, I'm your real Dad, and I will always love you and take care of you, no matter what." DJ was fascinated by everything Jack said, not taking his eyes off him as Jack carried him around Janet's front yard. There were rose bushes and tulips and a lot of flowers that Jack didn't know the name of, but he pointed to them anyway, watching the baby's reaction.

"That's a flower, DJ," Jack said as he touched the petal of a large red rose. Suddenly Jack heard the door opening. He turned around to find Sam standing in the doorway. Jack smiled. "And there is another type of flower, the one I love the best," he said.

Sam came down the walk and together they took DJ to the truck, where they strapped him into his car seat.

They stayed in Sam's little leased cottage that first night back in Colorado Springs because all of DJ's stuff was there, but the next day they went to Jack's house. After cleaning and airing it out, Jack thought it looked like he'd never been away. It felt good to be home, even more so because now he wasn't there alone.

Three weeks later Jack had gotten all of his things from Durango, and the two of them had spent all of one weekend moving her furniture and stuff into his house. He had gotten rid of some of his larger pieces, like the dining room furniture, since it had been chosen by his ex-wife and Jack felt no attachment to it. Now the dining room held Sam's mother's dining room set, which made her very happy. In the case of the master bedroom, which had also been his and Sara's, and since Sam's bed was only a full size, they went out and bought a brand new king size bed and matching pieces.

Sam was feeling particularly good that evening. Earlier that day they had applied for DJ's new birth certificate. And now thinking about beginning their life together, here in a house she'd always loved, made her feel all warm and fuzzy. But when her cell phone rang, she had a funny feeling in her stomach….what Jack would call 'a gut feeling'.

"Carter," she responded out of habit. As soon as she went back to work she intended to tell General Hammond that she would be going by her married name from now on. She might be a feminist of sorts, but she was very traditional when it came to showing how proud she was to be Jack's wife.

"Sam, it's me, General Hammond. I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted you to know that I heard from Jacob today. He'll be arriving in three days, and he's very eager to see you."

"I see." She knew she'd have to face her father sooner or later, but this seemed way too soon!

"Is he coming on business?" Sam asked. Jacob had only been back to Earth twice since his blending, and the first time he had been in a hurry to deliver a message and the diagrams of a new ship Apophis was building. The second time was also to share intell with the Tauri. By that time she had already informed him of her pregnancy in a message to the Tok'ra, and though he hadn't said anything very critical in his reply, she figured he might be saving his true feelings for when he saw her in person.

She was certain that he was disappointed in her. So their last meeting, although short, had been extremely tense. He had asked her who the father was, but she had refused to tell him, other than she and the father were no longer seeing each other. And then right before he left, he'd said something that had told her he was trying his best to forgive her. "I'm glad you're keeping the baby, kiddo. It'll be good to be a grandpa again," Jacob had said at the time.

"As far as I know he's coming to see you and little DJ," Hammond replied.

After she hung up, she went to the living room where Jack was relaxing in his favorite chair. She told him about her father's impending visit. And when he heard the news, he put his head in his hands, groaning and shaking his head back and forth.

"Oh, man, I'm really dreading this, Sam. He's not going to be happy about any of this." Jack could imagine how angry Jacob Carter would be. Not only had he fathered DJ when he was still Sam's commanding officer, but there was a large age difference between him and Sam. And now he was a cripple and no longer in the Air Force! Her father was going to be livid, Jack was sure of it.

"I think when he knows the whole story, he will understand, Jack." She had never told her Dad who the father of her child was. And because Jack had been her CO at the time, she knew the truth would be a shock and a disappointment to him. But she hoped that he loved her enough to accept Jack as DJ's father and as his son-in-law.

Sam sat down on Jack 's knee and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll invite him to stay here with us. Once he gets to know you better, he'll see you're the right man for me. You'll see, Jack, everything will be okay."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

When Sam went back to work two days later, she went straight to General Hammond's office. She had a favor to ask of him, but he had something else on his mind.

"I'm so glad you got Jack to come back to Colorado Springs, Sam. We really could use a man with his expertise around here."

"I'm not sure he's ready to come back to the SGC, Sir. ….or that he ever will be."

"Don't worry, Sam, I won't rush him, but I do intend to talk to him about lecturing. Now tell me, are you happy to be back at work?"

"I am, Sir, but…..I need to ask a big favor of you."

"After all you've done for me and for Earth, I think you're owed at least one. Ask me anything!"

"I want to continue working exclusively in the lab, Sir." She had given up gate travel early in her pregnancy, and though she missed it, she felt like continuing to do so was the best thing for her family. She had other responsibilities now, not just her duty to her country.

"Are you sure about this, Captain?"

"Yes, Sir. DJ and Jack are my main focus now. I know I could get hit by a bus on the way to work, but I really feel I need to stay here on Earth with my family."

"I understand completely, Captain. I'm sure you can help us just as much here, as you could out there. So, permission granted!"

"Thank you, Sir!"

When Sam got home that day, Jack was in the garage painting glaze on a pot. DJ was nearby, in the wind-up swing that Teal'c had bought for him. He loved the swing, and would kick his little feet excitedly as the swing moved back and forth, just like he was doing now.

Sam went over to him and smoothed her hand over his downy head. "Kicking won't make it go any faster, sweetheart," she laughed. His hair was still blonde, but she thought it was going to turn brown soon. Each day he looked more and more like Jack, which was definitely okay with her, although Jack often expressed the opposite opinion, saying things like, "For cryin out loud, don't scare the kid, Carter!"

"What color is that?" she asked, as she watched Jack apply the glaze. The color was a dull gray and not very pretty. But she knew all of the glazes looked awful until they were fired.

"Orange spice. Hand me the jar labeled 'pickle', will ya?" Sam checked the labels and selected the correct jar from the shelf above the work bench. She handed it to him. Then she watched as he sprinkled some of the crystallized glaze over the surface of the gray pot, just along the top edge. The small pieces stuck there in the other glaze which was still wet. The process reminded her of putting sprinkles on a cupcake. "These are green, about the color of a pickle. Should look good with the orange," Jack explained.

Sam nodded. She was learning more about his art each day, so she knew the pieces would melt during firing, and then they would bleed into the orange glaze. The finished appearance reminded her of the tie-dyed T-shirts she and her friends had made in high school.

Once the pot was ready to be fired, Jack set it in the bottom of the kiln with two other pots, making sure they didn't touch one another. Then he shut the lid, turned on the power and set the timer. Tomorrow morning they would be fired and ready to take to the shop.

Once Jack was finished with the pots, he removed his apron and washed his hands.

"Okay, cadet, time for your bath!" Jack announced, as he took DJ out of the swing. DJ gurgled and removed his fingers from his mouth. Then he tried to stick them into Jack's eyes. Jack grabbed his pudgy little hand and held it to his mouth, pretending to nibble on the plump fingers. "Mmmmm, gonna eat you up," he said in a deep growling voice. DJ giggled, his brown eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Come on, you two, Mommy's hungry," Sam said as she led the way to the house.

"Wait till Mommy sees what Daddy made for dinner," Jack bragged to the nine-month-old as though he could understand.

"I don't care what it is. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!"

The meatloaf, mashed potatoes and fresh green beans had been wonderful, but now Sam felt awful, like she'd swallowed an elephant.

"Ohhhh….don't ever let me eat that much again," she groaned, rubbing her stomach as she sat at the dining room table.

"I guess you don't want any apple pie with French vanilla ice cream on it then, do you?"

"God, no! I'll be lucky if I don't puke as it is!" She loved Jack's cooking, and if she wasn't careful she was going to put on a lot of weight. As if sitting in the lab all day wasn't bad enough, now Jack was filling her full of gastronomical goodies! Sam vowed right then and there to go running more often. Now that Jack was here to take care of DJ, she wouldn't have to take him with her in the stroller, although doing so had been fun.

"I should start running again. Maybe in the morning."

"Don't forget your Dad's coming tomorrow," he reminded her. Jack hadn't forgotten for one minute. In fact he had spent all morning getting the guest room ready for his father-in-law's visit. He still had to show Sam what he'd done to the room. "I fixed up the guest room for your Dad."

"You did?!" she cried as she jumped up from the table. When she opened the door to the front bedroom she was very impressed. Gone were the mauve linens and curtains, and in their place were new brown and beige ones. And in the corner where an old armoire had stood, there was now a comfortable looking, dark brown chair and ottoman and a tall lamp.

"Wow! Jack, you really went all out! Dad will love this chair," she said as she ran her hand over it's plump, plush back and arms.

"I hope so, then maybe he'll stay in his room more." Sam would be at work, while he would be in the house with her father, and just the thought was making him bonkers! What if Jacob hated his guts?

"Jaack," she said disapprovingly. "That's not the right attitude to take."

"I know. I'm sorry," he replied, giving her a sheepish look. He and Jacob had never really argued. In fact, he hadn't even spoken to Sam's father more than once or twice. But Jack had gotten the feeling that the man didn't like him…that he looked down on him, like he thought Jack was stupid or something. Maybe he felt intimidated by the man because he was a general? Jack didn't know if that true or not, and he didn't really care. He just wasn't expecting Jacob's attitude to be any different now that he was Sam's husband. If anything, he expected things to be worse.

The next morning Sam left for the SGC after promising to try and smooth the way for Jacob's visit. "I'll explain everything to him before we get here. It'll be okay. You'll see!"

Jack stood on the front porch holding DJ, both of them watching as Sam backed her Volvo out of the driveway. Once her car had disappeared down the street, DJ seemed to express Jack's greatest fear.

"Gone!" DJ cried when Sam's car could no longer be seen. Jack looked at his son's worried face, then he nodded and sighed.

"That's what I'm afraid of. Once your Grandpa talks to her, she may take you and never come back. I guess we better enjoy our last day together, cadet," Jack joked, although he wasn't feeling very jovial.

Jack carried DJ into the house, wondering what on Earth he could do to make Jacob Carter like him?

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

The following morning Sam arrived early at the SGC, but there was already a lot of work waiting for her. SG-12 had brought back some sort of doodad that needed her attention, and the boys in the bionics lab wanted her opinion on their current project. So she got to work, happy for the distractions.

Later in the morning Daniel and Teal'c arrived for a visit. They both wanted to know how things were going with her and Jack.

"Everything's fine, guys." And it was true. She hadn't been this happy in a long, long time, not since her mother was alive.

"So Jack isn't complaining about being bored?" Daniel asked. He knew from experience how easily Jack got bored.

"How could he be bored? He takes care of DJ, and he makes his pots, and he even cleans house and does the laundry. Oh, and you should see the wonderful meals he prepares!"

"Jack can cook? I didn't know he could make anything but burnt steak," Daniel replied, looking honestly surprised.

"Well then, we'll just have to have you over for dinner some night….but not until after my father leaves."

"General Carter is coming to Earth?" Teal'c asked.

"Yes, he's arriving today. I guess General Hammond didn't tell you because Dad's not coming on Tok'ra business this time."

"Oh, oh. I guess that means he's coming to see you."

"Yes, and DJ and Jack too. So what?" She pretended to be cool about the situation, but deep down inside she was very worried.

"Nothing. Everything will probably be just fine," Daniel assured her, wishing he hadn't sounded so negative.

"Oh, Daniel, I hope so," Sam admitted. "Thanks for stopping by. I have a lot of work to do before Dad gets here."

The two men left, but not before Teal'c nodded his regal head and actually smiled at her as though he wanted to reassure her. She thought it was sweet of him to show his support, but it didn't really help any. She was just plain worried!

The morning passed quickly, and before she realized how late it was she heard the gate activation announcement over the loud speaker. She quickly shut down her computer and a couple of other machines, and hurried to the gate room. By the time she arrived there, Jacob was with General Hammond and they were headed to his office. Sam caught up with them as they crossed the briefing room.

"Dad!" Jacob turned and caught her as she flew into his arms. They hugged briefly, and then she backed away two steps. "Sorry, Sirs. I didn't mean to interrupt," she said, remembering her place.

"Nonsense! You two go ahead. I have a million things to do anyway," Hammond said cheerfully.

"I'll talk to you later, George," Jacob told him, giving his old friend a serious look. And then he put his arm around Sam's waist and propelled her into the hallway. The instant they were alone, Jacob turned on her.

"What in God's name is going on around here? George just told me you didn't marry Mike!" He wondered if Sam had hit her head or been taken over by a Goa'uld or something, because none of this sounded like his daughter. First she got pregnant, and now she had apparently left the baby's father at the altar!

"Dad, please keep your voice down. Let's get out of here so we can talk." She knew that someone could walk by at any minute, and she really didn't want to add fuel to the bonfire of gossip she suspected already existed regarding her love life of late.

The five minutes it took to reach the surface seemed like an eternity to Sam, who couldn't wait to get someplace where they could speak frankly. At times like this she was glad she often left her wallet and her keys in the car, which was totally secure in the officers area of the parking garage. So it wasn't much longer before they were down the mountain and on the highway. That was when Jacob started asking questions again.

"Sam, none of this makes any sense. I thought you loved Mike?" He knew it wasn't wise to have a serious conversation while she was driving, but he couldn't wait any longer. Not knowing what was going on with his only daughter was driving him crazy, a fact that Selmac could attest to.

"I've got so much to tell you, Dad, that I don't know where to start," she said, shaking her head. This was going to be a lot harder than she'd imagined, so when they came to a small roadside park, she pulled the car over, stopping in the shade of a large tree. Then she turned to her father.

"I would have told you everything before, but I never see you. These are not things I want to tell you through your Tok'ra contacts," she told him in a pleading voice, praying for his understanding.

"Okay, I understand that, but why in God's name didn't you at least tell me you didn't get married?"

"Because I did get married … just not to Mike. I married Colonel O'Neill," she said, accidentally calling Jack by his old rank.

"But he's your CO!" Jacob though this was like a bad dream.

"Not anymore. In fact, he's not in the Air Force anymore. He was honorably discharged due to a serious injury. He lost his left leg, Dad."

"Oh, yeah, I heard about that. But what about the baby's father? I thought you wanted him to be a part of Daniel Jacob's life? I thought that's why you were marrying him?"

"Mike isn't DJ's father. Jack is." Sam watched as Jacob's expression changed from confused concern to understanding, and finally to anger.

"You and Colonel O'Neill had an affair while he was still your CO?" he bellowed from the seat beside her. Inside the closed car his voice sounded even scarier than Selmac's.

"Yes," she admitted in a small voice. It had taken her father even less time than she'd imagined it would to figure out what had happened, and now he was looking at her like he couldn't believe she was his daughter.

"I never thought I'd see the day when a child of mine would be so stupid, willful and dishonest. You broke the law, Sam!"

"I know I did, and I've hated myself for it ever since. But when I look at DJ, I know it was worth it. He's the most amazing child, Dad, and Jack is a wonderful father."

"He took advantage of you, didn't he?" He was certain she must have been coerced. Otherwise she never would have broken the law. That was it; O'Neill had seduced her!

"You don't know that, Jacob. Hold your tongue! You've already said to much," Selmac silently warned him, but Jacob didn't listen.

"What did he do, threaten to hold you back if you didn't sleep with him?" He had heard of situations like this. He just never dreamed it would happen to Sam. She seemed so level-headed.

"No! Dad, Jack is a good, honorable man. You'll see that once you get to know him."

"He didn't coerce you into having an affair with him?" He still couldn't believe she would do something so dishonorable of her own free will.

"No, he didn't have to. I wanted him just as much as he wanted me. I was attracted to him from the first day I met him," she freely admitted. And she would have admitted much more, but Jacob waved his hand in her face.

"No! I don't want to hear anymore!" He couldn't stand to hear how his daughter had broken her promise to uphold the standards of the military, how she had let him down.

"Dad, no matter what you think, I love Jack, and he loves me. Now we're going home, and you are going to be civil to my husband, or you won't be invited to our house again!" Sam stated in no uncertain terms. She had never spoken to her father in this manner before, and it seemed wrong to be doing so, but she felt like she had no choice. Jack and DJ were her family now, and she wasn't going to let anyone destroy it!

Sam waited for her father to say something. But when he spoke again, it was clear that his symbiote had taken charge. "I feel I must apologize for my host. Jacob loves you very much, Samantha. Never doubt that," the deep resonating voice of Selmac told her.

Sam wondered if Jacob's silence was due to fact that he was in shock because of how disrespectful her last words had been, and the thought made her feel guilty. "I'm sorry. I know he loves me. I just wish he would give Jack a chance!"

"He will, or I shall give him a headache the likes of which he has never experienced before," Selmac told her.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Sam was relieved when her father didn't lay into Jack the minute they arrived at the house. And Jack, who was clearly nervous about Jacob being there, was the epitome of politeness, showing her father to his room and then offering to get him something to drink.

"Maybe later. I'd like to get acquainted with my grandson first, if you don't mind?" Jacob said somewhat coldly, as he set his duffle bag down on the bed. It was a very nice room. In fact he liked the house so far. It looked well-maintained, and the neighborhood seemed quiet.

"DJ's in his room. It's right next to yours," Sam said, waving her hand in that direction as she moved toward the door. Jacob followed her closely, while Jack hung back. When they reached the crib, Jacob began talking to the baby, who had been babbling to the space ship mobile that was hanging from the ceiling above it.

Seeing that Jacob was occupied, Jack decided to make his escape to the kitchen. He felt safer in there, and besides it was time to fix lunch. Not knowing what time Jacob would arrive, he had planned a nice lunch just in case. So now he got to work putting everything together.

Sam suggested they take DJ outside, where they could sit together. She wanted to explain more fully what had happened with Jack. She couldn't let him go on thinking that Jack had been the instigator of their affair.

So once they were seated in two of the chairs on the back deck, and DJ was happily playing at their feet on a blanket, Sam began talking.

"I know it's hard for you to hear this, but you've got to hear me out. Jack never would have come to me, if I hadn't told him it was what I wanted. And we never saw each other intimately while on base. The first time was following a mission during which I'd been hurt. I had a badly sprained arm and had to take a strong pain killer as I was in a lot of pain. So even though we had four days down time, I was planning on staying on base. When Jack found out I was going to be stuck on base over the weekend, he offered to drive me home. We never meant for anything to happen, but….. Dad, it was my birthday, and I was missing you something awful."

"You're blaming _me_ now?" he asked uncharitably.

"No! I just want you to understand something of what I was feeling. Did my emotions make me more vulnerable? Probably. But is that why I made love with Jack? No, it isn't. Like I told you before, I had been attracted to him since the first day I met him. I knew it was wrong, so I tried to tell myself that it was just a crush, or hero worship. But after a while I knew that wasn't the case. Anyway, that day when he drove me home, I was feeling a bit groggy from the medication Janet had given me. I practically fell out of his truck and right into his arms. But he was a complete gentleman. He helped me inside, and then he walked with me to my bedroom."

"Yeah, that sounds like a gentleman, alright," Jacob remarked snidely.

"Just let me finish! He didn't try anything. I laid down and he took my shoe off. Then he covered me up with a blanket, and then…. I don't know why I did it, but I reached up and touched his face. He was being so gentle with me, and I was so unhappy and lonely. Anyway, he looked at me for the longest time, and then…. I'll always remember the words I said to him. I said, 'if you kiss me now, we could blame it on my injury and the drugs,'"

"And of course he did kiss you. What man wouldn't have?"

"That's probably true, but afterward he told me that he'd wanted me since the first time he saw me, but he had done nothing about it because he didn't want to ruin my career. Don't you see, Dad, he cared enough about me not to want to hurt me."

"So what happened to you two? Why didn't he retire so you could get married? From what I heard, he's not that into his career." He had heard a lot of things about Jack O'Neill, but that he was interested in being a general one day had not been one of them.

"He would have retired, if I'd let him. But I couldn't stand the thought of him quitting because of me. I also couldn't stand living a lie any longer. So after a couple of months, I told him I couldn't see him anymore. It wasn't long after that he suffered the injury that ended his career. I found out I was pregnant while he was in the infirmary."

"Oh, honey, how awful for you!"

"Yes, it was a really bad time for both of us. I tried to see Jack to tell him about the baby and to tell him how sorry I was for treating him the way I had. But he was hurting both mentally and physically, and he wouldn't see me, or anyone for that matter. Later on I found out he was living in Juneau, Alaska."

"Alaska! What on earth was he doing there?"

"Working. Trying to live as best he could. We haven't talked about that time much. I think he went there to get away from the things that reminded him of his career, the things that made him feel sad. He lived alone in a cabin out in the forest. So when he got the flu there was no one around to help him. One day he tried to get to town to see a doctor, but he passed out before he could reach the car. By the time his friend found him, it had snowed. He was in the hospital for a week. He had pneumonia, and his friend was worried he wouldn't make it, so he phoned Daniel, whose name and number were in Jack's cell phone."

"I don't understand; didn't Dr. Jackson know where Jack was?"

"No, for the most part Daniel was just as in the dark about Jack's life as I was. He'd seen him once in the hospital, but only because he'd sneaked into Jack's room. When Daniel told me what was going on and that he was going to Juneau to see Jack, I simply had to go with him. I even took DJ along, thinking that he should see his son at least once." Sam looked down at the baby, tears in her eyes. She reached up and brushed them away.

"I'm sorry, Sam. Maybe we should talk about this some other time?" It made him feel uneasy to see her crying. Sam had always been so strong. She hadn't even cried much when her mother died.

"No. No, I want you to know what sort of man Jack is."

"Okay. So what happened when you went to see him? Did he refuse to see you?"

"No, it wasn't that. He was delirious and kept calling me by his ex-wife's name. He told me later that he was confused, that he thought DJ was his son, Charlie."

"He has another son?"

"No, Dad. His son Charlie died five years ago. He accidentally shot himself with Jack's side arm."

"Oh, my God, how awful!" He had no idea the man had suffered such a huge personal tragedy.

"It's a wonder he can function at all," Selmac remarked inside Jacob's brain.

"Yes, isn't it?" Jacob replied to his symbiote.

Sam gave her father a puzzled look, but then she continued. "Anyway, I thought he was still in love with Sara. It hurt too much to hear him calling out to her, so I came back home, figuring that it was too late for us. Not long after that I met Mike. He was a really great guy and he didn't seem to mind that DJ was another man's child. And DJ liked him, and I thought it would be good for DJ to have a father, even if he wasn't his real father. But at first when he asked me to marry him, I couldn't give him an answer. I guess I was still holding out hope that Jack and I could be together. Then one day I saw Jack at the SGC. Daniel had convinced him to come and talk to General Hammond about a teaching job."

"Did you two finally talk?"

"No, when he saw me with the baby, he thought I had another man in my life, so he left without speaking to me."

"This sounds like a comedy of errors," Jacob chuckled, shaking his head.

"Exactly. We both made mistakes. We know that now."

"So what finally got the two of you together?"

"It was what happened at the dinner the night before I was supposed to marry Mike. Jack had been invited to both the dinner and the wedding ceremony."

"You're kidding!"

"Well, it was supposed to be for family and close friends, remember?"

"Yes, I felt terrible when I got the invitation via the Tok'ra."

"Well, I still considered Jack to be my friend, even if he didn't want to acknowledge our friendship. So he was invited. I didn't know if he'd come or not. Keep in mind that by now he was living in Durango."

"Durango, Colorado?"

"Yes, he had moved there shortly after arriving back in Colorado. Anyway, everyone had arrived for the dinner, and we were all seated and the toasts had begun, when suddenly there was a ruckus at the back of the dining room."

"Don't tell me, it was Jack!"

"Yes, and he was as drunk as a skunk."

"Oh, no!"

"Oh, yes! But it turned out to be a good thing, because he was finally able to tell me that he loved me. So I shoved him into a taxi and took him to my house. The rest, as they say, is history."

"Wait a minute! Are you saying you left your husband-to-be and your wedding guests at the dinner, while you ran off with Jack?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I did."

"Wow! I guess you're not my little girl anymore," he said, shaking his head.

"What do you mean, Dad?" Sam frowned. The last thing she wanted to hear was that she was no longer her father's little girl!

"I mean you're not the little girl who used to let her big brother push her around. You're a woman now, and you're able to take care of yourself."

"Not always, Dad. I still need you."

"You've got Jack."

"Did someone mention my name?" Jack asked as he pushed open the screen door with his left elbow. He was carrying a tray, and on it were plates stacked with tuna and egg salad sandwiches. There were also glasses of lemonade and a pitcher containing more of the same. He set the tray down on the big round table over to the left of the stairs, and then he turned and announced that lunch was served.

"Help yourself, while I get the rest of the food," he said cheerfully, and then he almost skipped into the house. He was back in a jiffy with a big bowl of potato chips and a plate of crudités with Ranch Dressing for dipping. Then he picked up DJ and watched as Sam and Jacob moved their chairs to the table. Jack sat down on another chair and expertly served himself, while managing to keep the baby's fingers out of the food.

Things seemed to be going well with Sam and her Dad. He had been spying on them while he prepared lunch, and so far he had not seen them yelling at each other. There had been one minute where Sam had been crying a bit, but it hadn't lasted long. So Jack felt fairly good about Jacob's visit so far. He just wished he wouldn't have to stay in the house alone with him while Sam went back to work.

"My, this looks good," Jacob said as he eyed the spread. "How do you find the time to cook, Sam, with everything else you do?" he asked as he chose two of the tuna sandwiches and several carrot sticks.

"Oh, I don't usually cook. Jack does all the cooking. He does the laundry and takes care of DJ too," she replied proudly.

"That's quite a change from being an Air Force officer, isn't it, Jack?"

"Yes, it is. So? What's your point?" Jack had the feeling that Jacob thought taking care of a house and a kid was woman's work. He wished the guy would just say it straight out. Then Sam would go ballistic and probably tell Jacob to get the hell out of their house!

"No point really. I was just wondering if it's enough for you?"

"He's been asked to lecture at the SGC, Dad," Sam quickly volunteered. The look Jack shot her told her he didn't appreciate her answering for him, but she could tell he had taken offense at her father's question. And she didn't want their nice lunch to be ruined by an argument.

"That was nice of George. I'm sure you're going to accept the offer, aren't you, Jack?"

"Actually I haven't decided yet. I sorta like having my business and being able to watch DJ at the same time. It gives me a chance to get to know him."

"Your business?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you Jack makes pots!"

"I can speak for myself, Sam," Jack responded this time, and he was frowning at her. "After you eat, I'll show you my studio."

"I'd like that."

When they were finished Sam helped Jack carrying the remains of their lunch inside to the kitchen, while Jacob held DJ on his knee.

"Don't take everything he says so critically, Jack."

"Come on, Sam, how can I not?! He was criticizing my way of life. What was I supposed to do, just sit there and take it?"

"He's my father, Jack."

"And I'm your husband! A wife is supposed to be supportive!"

"I know, but…."

"Then if you know it, stop sticking up for him, for crying out loud!" Jack slammed the dish washer shut and stomped out of the kitchen, heading toward the bedrooms. And since Sam didn't want Jacob to know that something was wrong, she got a jar of DJ's favorite strained plums, his bib and his baby spoon and took them outside with her.

"I thought you might like to hold him while I feed him?"

"Sure, I can do that. Where's Jack? I thought this was Jack's job."

"Da-ad! That's enough! Now pay attention. If you're lucky I may allow you to assist later," she added, giving him haughty look. He just smirked at her.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

After lunch Sam really needed to go back to work, so she told both Jack and her father to behave, and then she left.

Jack kissed her good-bye in the driveway, and then he went to get DJ, to put him down for his afternoon nap.

"Come on, cadet, it's time for your siesta," Jack said cheerfully, as he reached for the boy who was seated on Jacob's lap.

"I can do it," Jacob replied, holding the child closer to his chest.

"Okay, but I'll need to change him first," Jack replied, feeling possessive.

"No problem! I've changed a few diapers in my day, you know?" Jacob got up and carried DJ into the house, leaving Jack standing there gaping at him.

"I've changed a few diapers in my day," Jack mimicked in a falsetto voice. Then Jack followed them into the house. He was feeling jealous, although he never would have admitted it. Standing at Jacob's elbow, Jack watched while Jake removed DJ's dirty diaper. To his surprise it wasn't very long before Jacob had the boy all cleaned up and changed.

"There you go, Daniel Jacob. All better now?" The baby gurgled and cooed, his eyes sparkling as he smiled at his Grandpa.

"He needs his bottle. I'll go get it." Jack left the room while Jacob snapped the bottom of DJ's onesie. Jack felt conflicted. He knew it wasn't nice for him to wish that DJ didn't like Jacob so much, but on the other hand he felt like Jacob was trying to take his place. When he got back to the nursery, Jacob was seated in the rocking chair holding DJ, and the boy was already dozing off.

"Just set it on the dresser. I don't think he wants it right now," Jacob said in a soft voice.

Jack put the bottle down and left the room. Then he got a bottle of beer from the fridge and went outside. He was sitting with his feet up on the deck railing when Jacob came outside a few minutes later.

"Got another one of those?" he asked, eyeing Jack's beer. "Sure." Jack went inside and got another bottle of beer, but not before checking to make sure DJ was alright. When he came outside, Jacob was seated in a chair which he had pulled up next to Jack's chair. Jack handed the second bottle to Jacob. Then he sat down and put his feet up on the railing again.

"Thanks. For letting me put DJ to bed, I mean. I never got to do that for my other grandkids."

"Mark's kids."

"Yeah. As Sam has probably told you, Mark and I are estranged."

"She mentioned something like that." Actually what she'd said was that Mark hated anything to do with the military. But Jack had to wonder if it wasn't the military so much as his old man's superior attitude that Mark hated?

"I've only seen Amanda and Christopher a few times since they were born. They're ten and eight now."

"That's too bad."

"Yes it is, and I don't want that to be the case with Sam's son. So what d'ya say we put our differences aside and be friends, Jack?"

"Eh….That's fine with me." Jack was flabbergasted! He never thought he'd hear those words from a man like Jacob Carter. Maybe the guy was okay after all.

"Good! Now, how about a toast? To peace, to family, and to the Air Force!"

"_Slainte_!"

Both men downed their beers and Jack went to get each of them another one. Then they talked about the things they had in common, the most important of which were Sam and Daniel Jacob, of course. And in the end they both decided they weren't so different after all.

By the time Sam got home from work, both men were snoring in their chairs in the living room, while DJ played nearby in his playpen. When Sam walked into the room, the boy smiled at her and gestured at the sleeping men. "Ah goo gaga!" he shouted as he pointed one pump finger in their general direction.

"So I see!" Sam mouthed, smiling at the two older men in her life. It appeared that Jack and her father were getting along okay, and that made her feel a lot better. And it appeared that the younger man in her life was as happy about it as she was, if DJ's smile was any indication.

Suddenly Jack's eyes opened. "Oh, Sam, I didn't know you were home. What time is it?" Jack mumbled, his feet hitting the floor as he quickly sat up. Jacob opened his eyes and blinked, looking around as though he wasn't sure where he was.

"I think it's time you took the night off. I'll cook dinner," she offered as she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. She knew her father was watching, and it made her feel odd, as though she was ten years old again and had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. But she wasn't about to let his presence affect her life in any way!

"No, you don't have to do that. I'll go get us something." Jack had planned on making Lasagna, but it was too late now. "Jake, you up for some pizza?" Jack asked, and Sam gave him a look of disbelief.

"Sure, Jack. Anything you want," Jacob replied agreeably. "How'd your day go, Sammie?" her father asked.

"Eh…..pretty good. How about yours?" she asked, although she suspected she knew the answer. Instead of being all grumpy, her Dad seemed fine. In fact, he seemed better than fine!

"Great! In fact, if you two don't mind, I'd like to stay here for the rest of my leave," Jacob responded, looking from Sam to Jack.

"Fine by me, Jake! Come on, you can go with me to get the pizza." Jack bounded up out of his chair, and Jacob followed him, while Sam looked at the two men as though they'd each grown another head.

By the next evening Jack and Jacob were getting on like a house afire. It made Sam feel very relieved, particularly since the Air Force wanted her to take a short trip.

"They need me at Area 51."

"What's up? " Jack asked, his interest peaking when he considered the possibilities. He knew they were working on all sorts of things over there in the Nevada desert, but the planes were what interested him the most. He missed flying.

"They're having trouble with the anti-gravity component of the back-engineered plane they're working on."

"The one from Arizona?" An alien aircraft had crashed in the mountains southeast of Tucson, Arizona in 1997, but of course only a chosen few knew about it.

"Yes. I shouldn't be gone for more than two days. Do you think you can handle things here?" she asked. She still didn't feel right about being away from DJ. She knew she needed to get over her feelings of protectiveness, but it wasn't easy.

"Of course I can," Jack answered quietly. "You don't doubt that, do you?" he asked, even more quietly. Jacob was nearby in the kitchen, and he preferred his father-in-law not here this part of their conversation.

"No, not really. I'm sorry, Jack, I just don't like leaving DJ with anyone."

"I'm not just anyone, Sam."

"I know that." Just then Jacob came over carrying the coffee pot.

"Anyone want more coffee?" he asked amicably.

"Eh….no, not for me," Jack replied, and then he excused himself and left the room. Jacob heard the back door closing as he poured coffee into Sam's cup and then his own. Then he sat down and sipped the hot brew, while he studied Sam, who was looking out the dining room window at Jack.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, fine."

"Right. And I thought I was the one with doubts about Jack."

"What? Oh! No, I don't doubt his ability to take care of DJ. Believe me, it's not that. I just don't feel right leaving him. He's my baby."

"Let the boy have some time with his Dad, honey….and his Grandpa too."

"I will, Dad. I am! You two will be in charge for the next two days."

In the morning Jack drove Sam to Peterson AFB so she could catch the early flight to Area 51.

"I'm gonna miss you, honey," Sam said as she gave the baby a kiss on his round pink cheek. He looked at her and touched his fingers to her lips. She kissed his little hand and then quickly turned away, so he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. She knew it was silly for her to be so upset, but she just couldn't help it! DJ was a part of her!

"He'll be fine, honey. Now go and knock 'em dead with your brilliance." Jack was very proud of her. He always had been. From their first mission together he'd been able to rely on her, not just to do her job, but to go above and beyond that. And he had no doubt that she would be able to solve whatever problem the boys at Area 51 were having.

The following afternoon Jack was playing with DJ in the living room, while Jacob was taking a nap in his room. The baby was crawling around, giggling and squealing, while Jack pretended to chase him. And DJ wasn't the only one having fun. Jack felt happy. This was something he was able to do, even with his disability. As for what would happen in the future when DJ was older, he didn't like to speculate. In fact most of the time he put the topic out of his mind entirely. But suddenly the subject invaded his thoughts, and he stopped moving. Would he be able to play baseball with DJ? Would he be able to teach him to swim or ride a bike? Jack had doubts.

He was sitting on the floor daydreaming about the future when DJ tried to pull himself up by holding on to a table. Suddenly the table overturned, taking the baby and a large lamp with it. DJ screamed and started crying.

Springing to action Jack quickly crawled to his son's aid, moving the heavy lamp aside before picking up the screaming baby and hugging him to his chest. "Shhh! There, there, you're okay. You're okay," Jack kept saying as he rocked his body back and forth.

Jacob came running into the room and saw the overturned table and lamp and Jack sitting on the floor holding the crying baby.

"Is he alright?" Instead of answering, Jack just stared back, his eyes crazy with fear and concern. So Jacob took the baby out of Jack's arms. Then he sat down on the sofa and sat the boy on his knees, while he inspected him for cuts and bruises. Jacob found nothing obvious, but he was still worried.

"What the hell were you thinking, Jack? The living room is no place for him to be crawling around. Call Dr. Fraiser! Get her over here ASAP! I want to make sure he's really okay."

In a sort of fog Jack got up with difficulty and went to the kitchen counter, where he'd left his cell phone.

While they waited for Janet to arrive, Jacob tried to keep the boy occupied, while Jack stood by the window, watching for her car. All Jack could think about was that this was all his fault. He had been thoughtless and careless.

"I'm sorry, Jacob. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a father? DJ could end up like Charlie."

"No, I don't believe that, Jack. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was just scared for the boy."

"Maybe you should be scared? I don't have a very good track record as a father."

"Jack, I know you're a good man, or my daughter would never have fallen head over heels in love with you. She risked her career to be with you. She wouldn't have done that for just anyone," Jacob stated, as he tried to boost Jack's waning confidence. But Jacob could tell that his son-in-law wasn't listening just now, so he concentrated on keeping DJ awake.

When Janet arrived she took the baby into his room, and while she undressed him, Jacob told her what had happened…at least as much as he knew.

"I heard the baby scream and then he started crying. When I came into the room Jack was holding him. The table and lamp were overturned, but I don't know if they hit him or not. He was probably just frightened by the fall. I couldn't find any cuts or bruises on him, but I want to make sure he's okay."

Once Janet had examined the boy all over, she put a clean diaper on him and redressed him. "I agree that he was probably frightened. That table was naughty to fall over like that, wasn't it, honey?" she crooned to the boy, as she hugged and kissed him. He responded by grabbing her stethoscope and trying to chew on it. "No, sweetheart, that's too hard for you to chew on. How about a teething biscuit or a bottle?"

"Baba! Baba!" DJ cried at the suggestion of a bottle. Then he yawned.

"It's time for his nap. Is it okay to let him go to sleep?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, I think that would be fine." DJ seemed to know what they were discussing and dug his fists into his eyes. "I think someone's sleepy. Here, Grandpa, you can put DJ to bed," she said as she gave the boy to Jacob. "I want to speak to Jack while I'm here. Where is he?"

"I'm not sure. He's pretty upset. He blames himself for the accident, and I'm afraid I may have made things worse by yelling at him," Jacob admitted.

"Don't worry. I'll talk to him." Janet left the nursery and went to find Jack. She located him in the master bedroom, where he was cramming clothes into a suitcase.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter, as long as it's away from Sam and DJ."

"Why?"

"Why! Isn't it obvious? So I can't hurt them anymore! Sam can have the house. I'll call my lawyer and have him take care of everything."

"Jack, you're over-reacting. The boy is fine."

"_This_ time. What about the next time?"

"Accidents happen to everyone. They're no reason to give up what you and Sam have together. Please stop and think about what you're doing. Sam would be devastated if you left. Look, I have to go now. Cassie will be getting home from school soon. You think about what I said, you hear?" Janet saw him nod, but she still didn't feel good about leaving him in his current state of mind. So she went to find Jacob.

"Sir, I hate to leave when Jack's so depressed. He could really use a friend right now," she said hesitantly. Sam had told her that the two men were getting along, but she still had her doubts.

"I'll go have a talk with him."

"Thank you, Sir." She didn't say so, but she hoped he'd be more careful about what he said to Jack.

"Thank you for coming over so fast, Doctor."

"You don't have to thank me, Sir. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for that little boy, or Sam and Jack for that matter." Janet grabbed her doctor's bag and left the house, praying that Jacob could talk some sense into Jack before he did something stupid.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

Jacob looked out the window, watching as Janet's car backed out of the driveway. He liked the little doctor a lot. He thought she was good at her job, an outstanding officer, and she was also a very pretty lady.

"Down boy!" Selmac warned him. "She's way too young for you. Besides, she's not my type." Jacob just laughed at his symbiote, and then he went to find Jack.

"I'd love a bottle of Guinness, Jack. How about you?" he asked, as he stuck his head into the master bedroom. An empty suitcase sat open on the bed. "Going somewhere?" he asked casually, just as Jack zipped the case closed.

"No, just looking for something," Jack lied. He was a bit embarrassed about his earlier outburst. And though he still blamed himself for DJ's spill, he knew that what Janet had said was correct; accidents did happen. He just wasn't sure how many more accidents he could take.

"Okay, then let's go sit outside. There's a story I want to tell you." Jacob watched as Jack put the suitcase in the back of the walk-in closet. Then he followed Jack to the kitchen, glad that the man had seemingly come to his senses.

The two men got their bottles of Guinness, and then they went outside to the back deck. Jacob placed the baby monitor on the table where they could hear it, and then he sat down next to Jack. Leaning back he stretched out his legs and put his feet on the railing, crossing his ankles just like Jack.

"You were gonna tell me a story," Jack reminded him.

"Oh, yeah. When Sam was little I bought her this bike….her first bike without training wheels. My wife kept telling me the bike was too big for a child of five, but I wouldn't listen to her. Well, the very first day Sam had an accident. Scratched up her knee pretty bad. The thing was, when she started to fall she wasn't able to stop the bike from falling on top of her, because she was too short and it was too heavy. So her mother was right. If I had listened to her, Sam wouldn't have gotten hurt. I blamed myself. I felt stupid and totally incapable of raising a child."

"You?" Jack asked, his tone of voice indicating his disbelief.

"Yes, me, Jack. When I told my wife that I wasn't cut out to be a father, she laughed in my face and told me to stop thinking that I was any different from any other parent. She said child rearing is the hardest and most important thing we do in life, and yet we don't have training to do it, nor do we need a license or a permit. We want to do a better job than our parents did with us, but most of us repeat the mistakes our parents made anyway. In the long run all we can do is try to use common sense and hope for the best. That's all any of us can do, Jack. You aren't alone. We all make mistakes with our kids. I know I did. Hell, I'm still making them!"

When Jacob finished his pep talk, he saw a smile on Jack's face. "What are you smiling at?" he asked.

"It's good to know you aren't perfect, Jacob."

After Jacob returned to the Tok'ra, Jack and Sam settled down to married life. Jack had decided to carry on with his pottery business, and once a month he made a delivery to the Anderson's shop in Purgatory. The pots were selling so well, that Olie had raised the prices on them, and now Jack was earning quite a nice sum for his work. So he opened a bank account in DJ's name and began putting all the money he earned into it. One day there would be enough for the boy to go to any college he chose. And Jack was certain that with the intelligence he had inherited from his mother, the boy would do very well for himself in school and afterward.

General Hammond had finally gotten Jack to agree to lecture twice a month to the off-world teams and to those newly appointed officers who would be going off world eventually. At first Jack felt ill at ease being back on base after so long, especially since he was not wearing a uniform. But everyone he passed in the corridors had something nice to say about his marriage to Sam, his son, or about him being there to teach, and soon he began to relax.

Daniel was particularly glad to have Jack back. He had missed him a lot, and to Jack's distress he showed him exactly how much by giving Jack a hug….not a masculine, back-patting hug, but a full-blown, arms around the body type of hug that made Jack's skin crawl.

"Okay, okay, I get the picture!" Jack groused, as he pushed Daniel away. Seeing the hurt look on the younger man's face, Jack decided to do something nice to make it up to him. Besides, Sam had told him she wanted to have the guys over for dinner one night soon.

"Why don't you and Teal'c come over for dinner tomorrow night?"

"We'd love to, wouldn't we?" Daniel answered for himself and their big Jaffa friend.

Teal'c, who was seated on a stool near Daniel's desk, bowed his bald head in agreement. Then he listened while Daniel filled Jack in on what both men had been doing lately. Teal'c had floated from one SG team to another, and now he was assigned to SG-7 with two civilian scientists and two airmen.

"So, Teal'c's basically there to keep the scientists safe."

"Baby sitting, huh, T?" Jack felt sorry for the big guy.

"Indeed. They can be very trying at times," he acknowledged.

"I'll speak to Hammond and see what I can do," Jack told him, as he patted the big Jaffa on the shoulder.

"I would be most grateful for your intervention."

"Speaking of babysitting, where's DJ?" Daniel inquired.

"He's up at NORAD in the daycare center. I think it's a good idea for him to play with other kids once in a while."

"That's true, Jack. Socialization is an integral part of learning for a young child," he said with obvious approval.

"Yah, whatever! Okay, then we'll see you tomorrow at eighteen hundred hours."

"Thanks! See you then!"

Jack made a hasty exit from Daniel's lab. Now he needed to shop for tomorrow night's dinner! And since he loved to take DJ to the grocery store with him, he retrieved his son and then they headed off on their mission to choose just the right things for dinner.

"Uncle Daniel and Uncle T are coming for dinner tomorrow, DJ. So let's fix them something really special."

"Doo dah! Ooogah!" DJ cried joyfully.

"I agree!" Jack replied, smiling as he strapped the boy into his car seat.

A half hour later DJ was seated in the shopping cart gnawing on a teething biscuit, while Jack selected the fresh vegetables he planned to serve. When he looked up from putting a large bunch of broccoli into a plastic bag, he saw someone he thought he recognized. Just then DJ shouted 'Da-da!' rather loudly, and the woman turned around.

"Sara!" Jack was astonished to see his ex-wife standing not ten feet from him. She appeared to be alone, and she had a small shopping basket in one hand, as though she didn't intend to buy much.

"Jack?" Sara asked, but her eyes were on DJ. At first she thought she was imagining seeing Jack and Charlie together, so she shook herself mentally. And then she walked over to Jack's shopping cart, but she couldn't pull her eyes away from the boy. "Who's this?"

"This is Daniel Jacob, but we call him DJ," Jack announced proudly. DJ clapped his hands together, and Sara smiled at him.

"He's your son?"

"Yes. Mine and Sam's."

"I see." She didn't know who Sam was, and she really didn't care. What mattered was that Jack had a son! When the boy reached out to her, she took hold of his little fingers, not caring that they were covered in wet, sticky cookie. He smiled at her, an adorable smile that was so much like Jack and Charlie that it had her reeling. It was like seeing her dead son, and suddenly her heart ached to pick him up.

"How old is he?"

"Almost eleven months."

"He looks just like Charlie did at that age," she observed. Reigning in her desire to hold him, she let go of his hand, swallowing the sob she felt rising in her throat. She wouldn't cry in front of Jack, because she didn't want him to know how empty her life was or how jealous she was feeling right now.

Her smile had faded, and was replaced by a look of sadness, and Jack began feeling very uneasy.

"Yah, I guess he does." He knew it was true, but it seemed wrong to admit it. And suddenly he felt the need to get away from her. He knew it was silly, but their encounter was making him feel awkward and uncomfortable. "Well, we better get going now. I've got a lot to do. It was nice seeing you."

"You too," she said. Her shopping forgotten, Sara left the grocery store and got into her car, where she stayed until Jack came out of the store. Then she watched from across the parking lot as Jack carefully put DJ in the car seat before emptying the shopping cart. She could tell how much he loved the boy, how proud he was of him, and something stirred inside her….something even she didn't want to admit.

So when he pulled out, she followed him home, accusations and hateful thoughts festering in her mind. Why should he be happy, when it was all his fault that she had lost her beloved son? Why should he get a second chance? Why couldn't she get a second chance? Why wasn't she able to conceive another child? Although she had no man in her life, she had seen several fertility doctors anyway. She told them she was willing to consider a sperm donor, if it meant she could have another baby, but they all said she couldn't carry another child to term. It just wasn't fair! Jack had another son, but what did she have? Nothing!

Seated in her car, spying on Jack from down the block, a plan began to form in Sara's sick mind. Maybe there was a way for her to have her son back and to make Jack suffer at the same time?

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

All during dinner Jack had been unusually quiet, and Sam wondered why. So when he went to the kitchen to get the dessert, she offered to get the coffee.

"Is something wrong, Jack? You've been distracted all evening," she said as she watched him cutting the cheesecake he had bought at the store earlier that day.

"Nothing's wrong really. It's just…. I saw Sara today at the grocery store."

"Your ex-wife?" Sam was a bit surprised, since she thought the woman had moved to Denver with her father. At least that was what Daniel had told her. As for Jack, he never talked about Sara. And for fear of hurting him, she never asked. He wasn't one to talk about his past, or much of anything else that was personal, for that matter.

"Yah."

"Wow, that must have been a surprise?"

"Yes, it was. I didn't know she was back. She moved to Denver to live with her Dad after she filed for divorce. This was the first time I've seen her since she moved out."

Sam hadn't known till that moment that Sara had been the one who had asked for the divorce. She wondered how much it had hurt him, and if he still loved Sara?

"Did she have much to say?" Sam asked warily. She had a feeling there must be more to it. Had seeing her aroused feelings he still had for his ex?

"No, not really. We mostly talked about DJ."

"Oh. I guess that was a bit awkward."

"Yah, it was." Sam and Jack finished getting the coffee and dessert for their friends, and then they rejoined Teal'c and Daniel in the dining room.

The rest of the evening went by quickly, and Sam thought Jack seemed a bit less distracted after their little chat in the kitchen. She felt relieved, as she didn't like to think that Jack might still have feelings for his ex-wife. But after what had happened the time that he was delirious, she couldn't help but wonder.

Since the following day was Saturday and Sam had the day off, Jack asked her to go to Purgatory with him. He had two boxes of pots he wanted to deliver to Olie's shop. But Sam wanted to take DJ to the mall to buy him clothes, because he was quickly outgrowing everything. She also needed a few things, mainly panties and bras.

One thing he didn't like doing was shopping for clothes, especially with a woman. He thought they took way too long. He could recall shopping with Sara. He would find what he wanted and be out of the store, while she was still trying to decide what to try on. "You go ahead, and I'll be back as fast as I can," he told her.

So after they kissed, and he planted a big kiss on DJ's plump rosy cheek, Sam stood in the driveway waving good-bye to him. Not wanting to be left out, DJ waved too, his pudgy little hand grabbing the air like he was trying to catch snow flakes. Sam smiled at him and hugged him, thinking he was the most amazing child in all the world. Then she strapped him into his car seat and they were off!

At the shopping mall she put DJ in his stroller and gave him his favorite Teddy bear, the one Daniel had given him the day he was born. Then she headed for the biggest department store, figuring she could probably get everything she needed in one place.

Passing through the men's department on the first floor Sam spotted a black pullover sweater that she thought would look wonderful on Jack, so she bought it. Then she saw a cologne display for the kind Cassie had been talking about recently. Janet had told her daughter that she'd have to save up for it. But since Cassie's birthday was coming up soon, Sam decided to buy it for her. And since the perfume company was having a special sale, Sam got a little pink evening bag for free, which she was sure Janet would love.

Finally Sam and DJ arrived on the second floor where the children's department was located. He had fallen asleep by this time, snuggled up to his bear. Sam couldn't help smiling to herself as she thought about how lucky she was to have such a beautiful little boy. He was always so well behaved, and everyone commented on how smart he was.

Hoping he would remain asleep while she picked out his clothes, she parked the stroller where she could see it, and then she began going through a rack of sale items. But none of them would do, so she moved to another rack, but not until she had first checked to make sure DJ was still asleep. He was fine, so she moved to a table of shorts and shirts, which were just what he would need with summer coming. She picked out several sets, and she also got two packages of undershirts, and two hats, one a baseball cap with Rockies on the front and the other a hat with a brim all the way around. The next table held an array of swim suits, so Sam picked one out. It was very much like the one Jack had, and she couldn't wait to see the two of them dressed alike.

Now she needed to pay for everything. So since she could still see the stroller from the cashier's stand, she got out her credit card and handed it to the cashier. While the woman rang up her purchases, Sam looked back a couple of times to make sure DJ was okay. The second time a woman and two girls were in the way, and she couldn't see him. But they moved, and there he was, still fast asleep.

"Thank you, Mrs. O'Neill," the clerk said politely, as she handed Sam her packages. Sam picked up the three bags and turned around. That was when she got the fright of her life. The stroller was gone!

Sam began running around the racks of clothing in a panic, asking anyone and everyone if they had seen a stroller with a baby in it. No one had, so she ran to the cashier and told her that someone had taken DJ. The woman phoned security, but it seemed to take forever for the guard to get there. Then the man spent so much time questioning her, that she began to feel like she had done something wrong.

"My son has been kidnapped! Why are you wasting time questioning me? Do something!" she shouted. He finally got on his radio and called the security office. Then he assured her that everything would be done that they could do, but she really needed to speak to the police, who he also called.

Convinced by the guard to stay where she was and let them handle things, she stood by the cashier's counter, her bags forgotten at her feet. Finally the department manager suggested she come and sit down in his office, so she did, but only because she suddenly felt like fainting.

By the time the police arrived, Sam was beside herself with worry. She might be an officer in the USAF, but DJ was her only son!

"Did you see anyone paying an unusual amount of attention to your son, Mrs. O'Neill?"

"No, no one. I wasn't that far away from him. I don't understand how they could have taken him so quickly."

"Kidnappers can be very clever, Ma'am. We've issued an Amber Alert, so hopefully someone will let us know they've seen him. I'll need a recent photo."

Sam got out her wallet, not realizing how much her hands were shaking until she tried to pull the photo out. She finally managed and handed it to the police detective, who gave it to another man, who he told, "Get it to the press ASAP!"

Meanwhile, Sara had reached her car in the parking lot and had taken DJ out of his stroller. Inside the car was a brand new car seat she had purchased especially for him. There were also other things like clothing, diapers and bottles. He was still half asleep as the buckled him into the seat, and he didn't fuss at all.

"That's right, Charlie, you just sleep. Mommy will have you home in no time at all," she told him. Then she got behind the wheel and drove away, leaving DJ's stroller sitting in the parking lot.

Sam had hoped to avoid calling Jack, who was too far away to help, but after almost an hour she phoned him anyway. And naturally he was very upset.

"I'm coming home! I'm turning around right now. Don't worry, Carter, we'll find him!" he shouted, and then he hung up, leaving Sam staring at her phone and wishing he could simply step right out of it.

"My husband is on his way back to Colorado Springs, but he won't be here for at least three hours," she informed the police detective.

"I'll take you home. Later we may need you to come down to the station."

"I can drive myself home."

"No, I don't think that's wise. Besides, I need to put a trace on your home phone."

Sam understood the reason for the trace, although the thought that someone wanted money in exchange for her baby was revolting to her. Twenty minutes later she climbed out of the unmarked police car, feeling like she was living in a bad dream.

Once inside the house she phoned Janet on her cell phone. Her friend arrived ten minutes later, looking disheveled and anxious.

"I'm not just her friend; I'm her doctor," Janet told the strange man who answered the door.

"Okay, you can come in. Oh, here's my card, just in case you need to get in touch with me about anything," the detective told her. Janet thought he was cute, but right now her mind was on more important things, like her best friend who looked way too upset for her own good.

She couldn't get Sam to take the sedative she offered, but she did manage to get her to drink a cup of chamomile tea. Two hours later they were seated on the sofa in the living room when they heard Jack's truck pull into the drive way. Sam literally ran into his arms the instant he opened the front door.

"They took our baby!" she sobbed. She had held on this long, moving about in a sort of daze, but seeing Jack seemed to release her from her self-induced trance. He was here now; he would do something!

Jack held Sam for a full minute before he gently guided her into the living room, where Janet stood waiting for them. A man in a suit sat in the kitchen on a stool by the telephone. He looked up when they walked in, but he stayed put.

Sam was sobbing loudly now, clearly out of control, and Jack didn't quite know how to cope with this hysterical side of Carter, so he just hugged her.

"Jack, I'm glad you're here. The police put a trace on your phone, but so far no one has called. I've been trying to get her to take a sedative, but she won't listen to me," Janet told him pointedly, as she looked at Sam, whose face was buried in his neck.

Sam suddenly turned around and glared at Janet. "No, I don't want to sleep. I want to find my son!" Sam shouted.

"Sam, you'll be no good to him if you're worn out," Jack told her sensibly.

"I'm not tired, don't you understand?! I want to go back to the mall. Jack, you'll take me, won't you?" she asked, tugging on the front of his shirt."

"Why? DJ isn't there, Sam."

"Maybe there's some sort of clue there about who took him. Please, Jack, I can't just sit here!" she cried, her whole body shaking. Janet put her arm around Sam's shoulder, but she pulled away. "No! You are not sedating me!" she yelled, when she saw the syringe in Janet's right hand.

"Honey, you need to relax. Your blood pressure is too high. You know this isn't good for you or the baby." Janet had promised to let Sam tell Jack he was going to be a father again, but under the circumstances she felt she had no choice but to reveal the secret.

"Baby? You're pregnant?" Jack asked, obviously surprised.

"Yes," Sam replied quietly. "But right now DJ is all that matters."

"You are what matters too, Sam…you and the baby. Now I want you to do as Janet's says, and let her give you the shot."

"No, please!"

"Sam?" Jack gave her the look that he used when he wouldn't take no for an answer, and she finally nodded. So Janet gave her the sedative, and then Jack walked with her to their bedroom.

"Stay with me," she pleaded weakly, as she laid back on the bed. "Don't leave me, Jack."

"Okay." He would stay until she fell asleep, and then he was going to talk to the police detective and find out what was being done to find their son.

After a bit Janet looked in on them. When Jack saw her he gently and carefully slid Sam out of him arms.

"What is it?"

"I have to go now. But I'll leave these for her to take if she gets upset again. But don't let her take more than one pill every six hours."

"Knowing her, she won't take even one. Thanks for coming over, Janet. You're a good friend to Sam."

"I'm your friend too, Jack. You should try and get some rest," she said, and then she kissed him on the cheek before leaving the house.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

That afternoon Jack and Sam went down to the police station to identify a stroller that had been found in the south parking lot of the mall. The police also wanted them to look at video from the mall security camera, the one located outside the south entrance.

When Sam saw the stroller, she burst into tears. But after a couple of minutes she had recovered enough to watch the video footage. What she and Jack saw was a woman pushing DJ in the stroller. The woman had long dark hair and she was wearing a trench coat and sunglasses.

"She's obviously trying to disguise her appearance," the officer remarked. "Is there anything about her that looks familiar? The way she walks … anything?" Both Jack and Sam shook their heads. Then they looked at each other, unable to express in words what they were feeling in their hearts. It was unimaginable that anyone would do this!

Jack squeezed Sam's hand, and tried to give her a reassuring smile, but he failed miserably. He was more worried than he'd ever been about anything in his entire life.

"We think this may not be about money," the detective stated.

"Why?"

"Because they usually call pretty quick with a ransom demand." It had been four long hours, and so far they had heard nothing from the kidnapper.

"Then if it's not about money, what is it about?" Jack asked.

"Do you know anyone who would want to hurt either of you? Or maybe there's been someone paying an unusual amount of attention to your son….say a neighbor or someone you met in a store?"

"You think someone took him to hurt us?" Sam asked incredulously.

"I'm just making suggestions."

"Wait! Back up the tape and let me see her again," Jack said as he sat forward on the chair. The technician did as he requested. But once Jack had seen the woman again, the idea that had suddenly come to him seemed even more hard to believe. It was a weird, totally inconceivable idea, but in his gut he knew he was right!

"I think I know who that is. It's my ex-wife," he said as he stared at the frozen image.

"Sara? But why would she do such a thing?!" Sam cried.

"I don't know why, but I don't think she'd hurt him."

Jack gave the detective the only address he had for Sara, which was her father's house in Denver. And though he wanted to go there himself, he knew it would be quicker for the Denver police to see if she was there. Also, Sam was in no condition to be running all over searching for DJ, so he decided they would wait there at the Colorado Springs Police Station.

Even though it seemed like an eternity, it was less than an hour later when the detective got a phone call from the Denver PD. The minute he got off the phone, he told Jack and Sam the news. "Sara's father says he hasn't seen her in a couple of weeks, and several of his neighbors said her car hasn't been there for at least that long. He also said she got laid off from her job recently, and she talked about seeing if there was any work someplace else. But he thought she'd gone to see her friend in Phoenix."

"Did he have her name and address?" Jack asked.

"Yes, the woman's name is Beverly Marshall."

"Oh, yah, I know her. She and Sara went to high school together."

"I'm going to call down there now and find out what she knows."

"Can I do it?" Jack asked. "I know her a bit. She lived here in Colorado Springs until a few years ago." The fact was that Beverly had been in their wedding, but Jack didn't think it was necessary to mention it in front of Sam.

"Sure, but I want to hear what she says, so we'll use the speaker phone. Here's her number."

Jack dialed, and a woman picked up on the second ring.

"Beverly?"

"Yes."

"This is Jack O'Neill."

"Oh! I'm glad it's you, Jack. I recognized the area code, and I hoped it was Sara calling again. I'm very worried about her."

"Has she been in touch with you recently?"

"Yes. In fact she phoned me yesterday, and she said the strangest thing."

"What?"

"She said she had good news, that she and Charlie were going on a trip together."

"Charlie?" Jack asked, the shock and concern etched on his weary face. Sam saw his expression and put her hand on his arm.

"Yes, but when I asked her to explain, all she said was that I wouldn't be hearing from her for a while, because they were going out of the country."

"Did she say where?"

"No, she didn't. Jack, who was she talking about?"

"My son, DJ. She kidnapped him this morning."

"Oh my God! Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry!"

"Thanks."

"Will you let me know what happens?"

"Yah, sure. Thanks for your help, Bev."

"You're very welcome. And Jack, I know Sara blamed you for Charlie's death, but I never did. I'll be praying for you, Jack."

"Thanks, Bev. I'll phone you when we find her."

After Jack hung up, the detective had some more disturbing news.

"Well, I guess that cinches it. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you. As you know the FBI handles all kidnapping cases, so I'm turning everything we have over to them."

"But in the meantime she could be getting away!" Sam cried. Her son was out there with a mad woman, and they were more worried about whose jurisdiction it was!

"Sam, calm down, honey," Jack pleaded quietly. Then under his breath he said, "Play along with me."

"I'm taking my wife home now, so she can rest.," Jack announced, and Sam followed orders, not saying a word.

"I'm afraid the Feds want to talk to both of you first. They should be here soon. You can wait for them downstairs where it's quieter."

Jack just nodded, figuring it would do no good to complain. Then he and Sam left the small office, walking along behind the detective. Jack deliberately hung back, knowing that he would need to make his move soon. Ahead of them he could see a big room filled with lots desks and lots of people talking. A few were in handcuffs. Across the big room was the elevator. Just as they reached the first row of desks, the elevator doors slid open and three men in suits stepped out.

Jack knew Feds when he saw them, so he pulled Sam close and whispered in her ear. "I'll find DJ. I love you, Sam!" he whispered, and then he turned and hurried in the opposite direction, to the door at the end of the hallway. The door was marked EXIT, so Jack opened it and ran down the stairs, hoping to elude the FBI. He knew that they would not want him getting involved in the search for his son, but he also knew he was the best man for the job.

Running down the stairs caused his left thigh to throb something awful, but all he could do was pray that he wasn't doing any permanent damage. All he cared about was getting his son back. Even if he did do some irreparable harm to his leg, he had to do this! He couldn't let another son down the way he'd let down Charlie.

The first thing Jack did when he reached the parking lot where his truck was parked, was to switch license plates with another truck parked nearby. It wouldn't take the Feds long to figure out what he'd done, but at least it might slow them down some. He was sure they would follow him. They might even suspect that he was somehow involved in the kidnapping. He knew enough about the darker side of life to know how their minds worked; no one was above suspicion, and that included him.

Back upstairs in the squad room the police detective introduced Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill to the FBI agents.

"I don't see Mr. O'Neill, defective," the FBI agent remarked sarcastically. Sam smiled in spite of the dire circumstances. Clearly there was no love between these two agencies of their government.

"Eh…shit! He was here a second ago," the man replied, looking puzzled and upset. "Hey! Anyone see a man with graying hair, about six foot two?" he called out. Everyone in the squad room either ignored him or shook their heads negatively.

"Mrs. O'Neill, you wouldn't by any chance know where your husband has gone, would you?"

"Maybe he went to the bathroom? He has to go quite often because of his prostate," she explained, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She wasn't about to hurt Jack's chances of finding DJ. Besides, she loved seeing him acting more like his old self. He was going to find his son, and he wasn't going to let anyone stop him. This was the hero she knew and loved.

After spending a few minutes searching the building for Jack, the FBI agents took her home, two of them remaining inside the house with her, while the third one stayed in their big black SUV, which was parked out at the curb. There was already another man there who she assumed was FBI too, and he was sitting by the phone. Next to him was a computer, which she assumed he would use to help him track a call, if one should occur. When she looked at him, he told her she'd had three phone calls, and then he handed her a slip of paper with three names written on it. The names were Janet, Daniel and General Hammond.

"These are our friends. I need to call them back."

"If you've got a cell phone, use it," the man told her in no uncertain terms. So Sam went to the master bedroom, where she sat down on the bed and pulled her cell phone out of her purse. First she called Janet.

"The FBI just brought me home."

"Oh, my God! How are you doing?"

"I'm okay."

"So what happened? Did they figure out who took him?"

"Yes…well, Jack did. Janet, you're not going to believe it. It was Sara, Jack's ex-wife!"

"His ex-wife? Is she nuts! Sorry. I mean why would she do such a thing?"

"We don't know, but Jack doesn't think she'll hurt him."

"Thank God for that."

"But Janet, Jack went to find them on his own, and now the FBI is looking for him."

"Ohmygosh! Do you want me to come over?"

"Would you mind? Having FBI agents swarming all over my house is creeping me out, especially since they consider Jack to be a suspect."

"I'll be right there!"

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

After Jack threatened the man with bodily harm, Sara's doctor in Denver had revealed that she had gone to several specialists because she wanted to have another baby. But they hadn't been willing to risk her life or that of a child. They told her that she couldn't carry a child to term, which was what her doctor had already tried to explain to her. Then he had suggested adoption. But the last time he had seen her she had seemed even more depressed, so he had prescribed an anti-depression medication.

Jack knew about such drugs, and he also knew about their side effects, which was why he would never take that damned stuff again! Psychotic behavior was the worst side effect, and he had to wonder if it was the drug that had finally caused Sara to do something so radical as kidnap another woman's baby? But then he stopped to think. This wasn't just any child; DJ was his child. So did she really hate him so much that she'd done it out of spite, or was it because her sick mind had seen too much of Charlie in DJ? He could still recall her saying how much he looked like Charlie that day in the grocery store.

"Damn, I should have seen this coming!" he cried as he slammed his hand down on the steering wheel. Jack was seated in his truck outside Sara's doctor's office in Denver, trying to imagine himself in her shoes. What would he do, if he was in her situation? He was certain that she wouldn't be able to take the baby out of the country. No matter what she had said to Beverly, there was no way she could get a passport for him. So what would she do?

Even though he had no idea where to look, he started the engine and put the truck into gear. He couldn't just sit there doing nothing! The sun was beginning to set, and he was worried that if he didn't find DJ today, he might never find him!

The only thing that made Jack feel any better about the situation was that DJ hadn't been taken by someone in order to get money. Those kind of people often got rid of the kidnap victim, even when they got the money. But in this case, Sara wanted a baby, so most likely she would take very good care of DJ. It was clear to him now that Sara had taken DJ to replace the son she had lost, the son she felt he had taken from her. But now that she had him, where would she go?

Jack drove slowly until he saw a fast food place on the right. He pulled into the drive-through lane, knowing that he needed something to eat if he was going to continue to search. His last meal had been at 07:00 that morning, and now it was twelve hours later. So Jack ordered two hamburgers and a large cup of coffee. And when he got them, he drove back down the street to the park he had just passed. There he sat in the truck facing a grassy area where several children were playing with a dog, an Irish setter. They were throwing a stick, which the dog would chase and bring back to them.

At first Jack wondered if the dog would prefer a duck or some sort of game to retrieve, which was after all what he'd been bred to do. But watching the dog also brought another idea to Jack's mind. Sara had often mentioned having an aunt named Tildy who owned an Irish setter. The aunt was her mother's unmarried sister, and when Sara was a child she would go and spend part of her summer vacation at her aunt's house, where she played with the dog. Then her mother had died when Sara was twenty, and she and the aunt became very close. Sara had said it was almost like having her mother back again.

But then the year Charlie was born, Aunt Tildy had died suddenly. Sara had been very upset, saying how unfair it was that neither her mother nor her aunt would ever get to see her son. Then the following month Sara had gotten a letter from the administrator of her aunt's estate, telling her that the entire estate had been left to her. Jack had forgotten about the house until just now. He didn't even know if Sara still owned it. But he knew one way to find out, so he took his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and dialed her father's number.

His phone call to Sara's father had been unpleasant but successful. Sara had never sold the house, so Jack asked him for directions. And once he had them, and once he had convinced the man that he wasn't going to hurt his daughter….who he said was obviously mentally ill because of all the terrible things Jack had done to her….Jack drove out of the park and headed north on the highway.

The little college town of Boulder, Colorado wasn't as little as Jack remembered it, but it still didn't take him long to locate the big old Victorian house, which was surrounded by a tall iron fence. The bushes on the inside of the fence, which were very overgrown, kept Jack from seeing anything on the other side. So Jack parked his truck down the street a ways, and then he walked toward the big house, hoping to get a look at it from the driveway, where iron gates were the only things blocking his view.

In a way Jack was glad it was dark now, because otherwise the neighbors in this very exclusive neighborhood might call the cops if they saw a man snooping around. Never the less, Jack was very cautious and stayed in the shadows, avoiding the streetlamps, which looked like the original from the turn of the twentieth century. Jack figured that the houses in the neighborhood had been built for the rich cattle ranchers and mine owners who came here from the East well over a hundred years ago. He had no idea what sort of folks lived here now, but he could tell by the expensive cars he saw in the other driveways that they didn't buy their clothes at the local super store. This made him wonder how Sara had managed to pay the taxes and upkeep on the place for the past sixteen years or so? But since he had other more urgent things on his mind, Jack shoved the thought aside and went back to work.

A mailbox stood to one side of the drive, and Jack decided to look inside, hoping there would be something in it that would tell him if anyone was living in the old house. He struck pay dirt when he pulled out a bunch of flyers and envelopes. On the top of the pile of mostly junk mail was an envelope from a bank in Boulder, and it was addressed to Sara E. O'Neill!

Jack shoved the mail back into the box, and then with his back to the fence, tendrils of vines and other plants poking him in the neck and head, Jack sidled up to the gate and peered between the iron bars. To his delight there was a car parked on the drive, and there lights on inside the house! Sara and DJ were in there! Now all he needed to do was get inside, and then he would be able to get his son back! But the tall fence would be a problem. He could see the heavy chain that was wrapped around the iron bars of the gates, and the thick padlock on the inside that was holding the thick chain in place. Sara had made certain there would be no easy way for anyone to get inside. So now he'd have to climb over the fence with just one good leg, and he wasn't at all sure he could manage it.

Jack was walking along the fence trying to select the best place to climb over, when he suddenly saw a police car racing toward his location. Some nosy neighbor must have seen him lurking about and called the police! The emergency lights were flashing, but there was no siren. And though Jack considered running to his truck and trying to get away, he knew they'd catch him.

So, since acting guilty would only cause him more trouble, he stayed where he was, greeting the officers in a friendly manner when they got out of the car, which they parked across the end of the driveway. "Hello! I guess you must be wondering what I'm doing here," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

Jack was trying to act confident, but in reality he was worried shitless that the cops wouldn't believe his story. Even if they did believe him, they would contact the Colorado Springs PD, or the Denver PD, and someone would reveal that the FBI wanted him for questioning, and then he'd be thrown in jail!

Jack was so frustrated he could scream, but just then from behind the second officer he saw the back door of the patrol car open. Then he saw his ex-father-in-law get out of the black and white car, and Jack didn't know whether to hug him or to make a break for it after all.

"Mr. O'Neill?" the cop who had been driving asked.

"Yes, that's my name. What's yours?" Jack asked, figuring civility might be the smarter way to go.

"Sergeant Thomas, and this is my partner, Simpson. This man came to us with a pretty remarkable story, so we called the FBI to check it out. They said you're wanted for questioning in a kidnapping."

"Fuck!" Jack swore under his breath. "Did they also tell you it's my son that was kidnapped, and that my crazy ex-wife….sorry, Jim, but it's true….is the one who took him?"

"Jack, I told them everything. The more I thought about it, I knew I couldn't keep blaming you for what went wrong between you and Sara. She's always been a bit high-strung, but I never thought she'd do anything this awful."

"I didn't either, Jim, but it looks we were both wrong. So what do we do now?" Jack asked, looking at the police sergeant. "I'm worried if you tell her you're here and why, or if you just go barging in there, you could scare her into doing something worse," Jack responded. He was at a loss. He'd hadn't been trained to handle hostage negotiations. His job had been to go in after all negotiation had failed, to sneak in and kill the kidnappers. But those people had been strangers to him, whereas this time it was personal. His son and his ex-wife were in there!

"I agree, Jack. I'm not sure anymore what she's capable of," Sara's father admitted sadly.

"Do you think she's armed?" the other officer asked.

"No, I don't think so. Sara hates guns," Jack attested. She had always hated that he was in the military and that he carried a gun. She had particularly hated that he kept a gun at home, which was what had led to the death of their son.

"Okay, but we can't be certain, so we need to use caution," the policeman stated, and the other men nodded.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter eleven

Somehow Jack managed to convince the Boulder police to let him help. And after telling them what he had in mind, a policeman cut the chain that held the big gates shut using the heavy-duty wire cutter he took from the trunk of the patrol car. Then the four men walked up the driveway to the three-story Victorian house.

Once they reached the front porch, which ran across the width of the house, they separated, Jack and the policeman named Simpson went to the left, while Jim and Sergeant Thomas moved to the right. Looking in the windows as he walked, Jack didn't see anyone until he reached the back of the house, where the lights were the brightest. There in the kitchen he saw Sara standing at the stove. She had her back to the window, and she was stirring something in a small pot on the stove. DJ was no where in sight.

Jack signaled his companion that Sara was there. And after the officer took a peek in the window, they crept down the porch stairs and met with the other two men on the other side of Sara's car, where they couldn't be heard.

"She's in the kitchen at the back of the house," Jack said, pointing to the left side. "DJ is probably asleep by now, so he may be upstairs," Jack suggested in a quiet voice.

"I agree," Officer Simpson responded.

"I'd go up after him myself, but with my bum leg…" Jack just shook his head sorrowfully. Climbing up to the second story from the outside was not something of which he was capable anymore. It nearly killed him to have to admit it, but he put his pride aside for the sake of his son.

"It's okay, I'll go," Officer Simpson offered. "You just keep her busy down here."

"I'll do my best. You two get outa here so she doesn't see you," Jack told Sara's father and the other cop, and then he stepped up onto the porch and approached the front door. He rang the doorbell, while Officer Simpson went to the back of the house and waited until Sara left the kitchen.

It was a full minute before Jack saw Sara's form through the wavy glass in the front door. Then the porch light came on and he heard the tumblers in the lock turning. And then the front door opened, and Sara was standing there staring at him.

"Hi, Sara, may I please come in?" he asked, giving her a friendly smile. Sam had told him that his smile was one of his best features, so he tried to use it now to his advantage. But apparently Sara wasn't buying what he was selling.

"Jack! What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously.

"I just wanna talk to you, Sara. I've come a long way to see you, and I'm tired. I could use a cup of coffee…and something to eat too, if you have enough?" He had seen the coffee maker on the counter, as well as the pot she was stirring on the stove. So he used what he knew to try and get her to let him in.

"Oh my God, the soup!" she cried, and then she turned around and took off for the kitchen, leaving Jack standing there in the open doorway.

Meanwhile Officer Simpson had already climbed up to the second story, where he was trying to find an unlocked window. His first two attempts failed, and he ended up climbing up to the third story, where he finally found a window that was not only unlocked but slightly open. It led into what was apparently part of the attic, and the dark room was full of dusty boxes and other things. Luckily he had his flashlight with him, so he was able to make his way to the stairs without tripping over anything. Then slowly and quietly he descended the stairs, and then he opened the door to the hallway.

A small rectangular table sat in the middle of the large kitchen, and at one end stood a highchair, the tray of which was smeared with food. Jack breathed a sigh of relief, because it meant that DJ was there and that Sara was feeding him.

"Are your hands clean?" Sara asked, giving Jack a critical stare.

"Yes," he lied. He figured if he said they weren't clean, she'd tell him to go the bathroom and wash them. And right now he needed to stay here with her, to make sure she didn't leave the kitchen.

So Jack sat down at the table and watched as Sara poured coffee into two cups. She set them on the table, one in front of him and one at the opposite end of the rectangular farm table. She also gave Jack a paper napkin. Next she got a carton of milk out of the refrigerator and set it down in the center of the table, just like she'd done for him a thousand times in the past.

When she went back to the stove, he studied her, noting how dirty and unkempt her hair and clothing appeared to be. Her lack of cleanliness surprised and appalled him. It also made him sad, and a part of him felt responsible for her condition. Maybe if he'd begged her not to leave him, things would be different for her now…better somehow? But he knew that it did no good to dwell on what might have been. In boot camp he had been taught that second guessing yourself could get you killed. And as he matured he learned it wasn't a worthwhile thing to do, no matter what the situation was.

It also did no good looking for explanations when bad things happened to good people. Things didn't always happen for a reason, he wasn't being punished for being a bad person, and his ex-wife's fate was not his responsibility. He knew all those things, so why did he still feel like such an asshole?

When Sara turned around again, Jack lowered his head and reached for the carton of milk, not wanting her to know that he had been studying her appearance. He poured a little milk into his coffee. He was about to take a sip when he thought he saw something floating on the surface of the brown liquid. Using the tip of his pointer finger he fished out the offensive particle and shook his hand, flinging whatever it was away, most likely onto the floor, which he noticed was none too clean.

He heard her snort derisively. "Why do you always do that? That cup was clean, Jack," she said, looking back over her shoulder at him.

"Just an eyelash. Probably my own," he replied truthfully.

The contents of the saucepan on the stove had apparently not been ruined by her inattention, so she spooned the contents into two bowls before setting one of them in front of Jack. Then she got a box of saltine crackers out of the cupboard and put it on the table as well. She finally sat down facing Jack, but she bent her head and started eating her soup, just as though it was something they still did every day together.

"Looks good," Jack said, wanting to keep the conversation light. "Did you make it?"

"Cut the crap, Jack; you can tell it's canned. Now eat it while it's hot. I hate it when I have to cook for you at all hours," she complained.

"I'm sorry."

"Charlie cut another tooth today," she told him then.

Not wanting to upset her, Jack forced himself to play along. "He did? That's great!" Then he forced himself to swallow a spoonful of the vegetable soup, although it seemed to have very little taste. All he could think about was that right now a policeman was trying to rescue his son from this crazy woman.

And though he felt concern for his son's safety, he also felt concern for Sara. What would happen to her now? The woman sitting across from him had once shared his bed and his dreams. They had made plans for a future together. Now she was like a stranger to him…a stranger who was threatening to ruin his life with Sam and DJ.

They ate in silence for a couple of minutes, and then Jack heard a noise. Sara obviously heard it too, because she put her spoon down in the bowl and looked up toward the ceiling.

"Rats," Jack said under his breath.

"What?" she asked, screwing her face up in obvious confusion.

"I said it's probably rats. Big old house like this probably has a bunch of 'em," he explained.

"What are you talking about? Why are you here?" she asked suddenly, as though it had just occurred to her that they were no longer married.

"I came to see how you're doing."

"Why?" she asked suspiciously. Jack was about to answer her, when they both heard footsteps out in the hallway. Sara stood up just as Officer Thomas came striding into the room, his gun drawn and pointing at Sara.

"What are you doing here? What's going on?!" she cried. Seeing that she wasn't armed, the officer holstered his gun and took hold of her arm, pulling it behind her as held a pair of cufflinks in his other hand.

"Where's my son?" Jack asked as he rounded the table.

"The boy's outside. Lady, you're under arrest for kidnapping," Jack heard the officer saying as he jogged out of the room. He was out the front door and down the porch steps faster than he thought possible for a man with only one good leg.

When Jack reached the patrol car, DJ was sitting on Officer Simpson's lap while he spoke into his radio. Meanwhile Sara's father was seated in the backseat of the car with the doors locked. Obviously he'd gotten upset and the police had to lock him up so he wouldn't interfere. When he saw Jack, he starting barking questions at him

"Let me outa here! Where's my daughter? Is she okay?" he asked.

"Yah, she's okay," Jack replied, although he knew that wasn't really the case. Sara was sick.

Jack took the boy from the officer, who then went to assist his partner, who was leading a very agitated Sara down the steps. When she saw DJ she screamed that Jack was stealing Charlie from her, and the police should be doing something to prevent it. But soon she was in the back seat of the patrol car with her father, and the car door was shut, muffling the sound of her cries.

Jack hated seeing Sara so confused and upset, and he hugged DJ to his chest so tightly that the boy complained with a loud squeal. Jack loosened his grip a little and kissed his son's round rosy cheek.

"Sorry, kid, it's just that I'm very happy to see you. Did you miss your old man? Huh? Did ya?" Jack asked, as he kissed his son's face and head again and again.

DJ responded with just one word, "Baba!"

"You want a bottle? You don't see me for twenty-four hours and that's all you've got to say? I'm crushed!" Jack said with mock indignation.

Jack called Sam and filled her in on what had happened at the old house in Boulder. She seemed very composed, but he could hear the tension in her voice, especially when he told her that DJ had cut a new tooth.

After he promised to phone her again as soon as the police were finished with him, he drove to the Boulder Police station. It was after 23:00 by the time the local cops got through questioning him. But then he hung around a bit just to make sure that Sara was alright, or at least as alright as she could be under the circumstances. They assured him no harm would come to her, that she would be kept in the local hospital's psyche ward until the FBI came to get her. And after saying good-bye to her father, Jack headed for the nearest hotel, much too exhausted to drive home.

And now an hour later DJ was half-heartedly sucking on a bottle of warm milk, while safely tucked into a crib at the Boulder Marriott, and Jack was stretched out on the bed, his cell phone in his left hand.

"I'm sorry, Sam, but we're both beat." It was a three hour drive from there to their home in Colorado Springs, so he had decided to get some sleep before making the trip.

"It's alright, Jack. You get some sleep. As long as I know you're both, I'm okay," Sam assured him, once she got her tears under control. This time she hadn't been able to hide her true feelings from him. In fact she had been so happy and relieved to hear from him that she had broken down completely, doing nothing but sob into the receiver for a full minute. Janet, who was seated next to her on the sofa, kept patting her hand reassuringly.

"We'll be home before lunch," Jack assured her. "I love you, Sam. DJ sends his love too."

"I love you both too! Thank you, Jack," she said sincerely, and then she began crying again.

"Honey, please try to calm down. Sara didn't hurt him. He's fine and you'll see him tomorrow."

"I know. It's just that…. Jack, I don't know what I would do without him…and you, of course. You're my hero!"

Jack grinned. Hearing those words from anyone would have been great, but hearing them from Sam was like a dream come true! He still couldn't believe how his life had turned around. Just a few months ago he was wondering if he'd ever feel loved again, and now he had a caring wife, a wonderful son and another baby on the way.

"Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, Jack. Sleep tight!"

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

Two days after Sara was taken into custody, she was on medication and was deemed calm and rational enough to appear before a judge. Sam and Jack were there in Denver to hear her not guilty plea. Then the court-appointed psychiatrist gave his report, stating that after examining Sara for forty-eight hours he could say with certainly that she was not mentally fit to stand trial. Demonstrating the accuracy of his diagnosis, Sara interrupted the proceedings more than once to accuse Jack of taking Charlie from her.

Sara's father told the judge what a kind, gentle person Sara normally was, and how she loved children and would never hurt one. He said the illness she was suffering from had been slowly coming on since the loss of her son. He added then that if anyone should be blamed for her state of mind, it was her ex-husband, because he had been negligent in their son's death. At that point the judge stopped him, reminding him that they were not there to place blame for Sara's illness, but rather to decide what was best for her. Her father apologized to the judge, and then he said he would gladly care for Sara, should the judge decide to release her. But the judge told him her crime was a federal offense and as such could not simply be dismissed, no matter who spoke in her behalf.

Jack spoke next, telling the judge that he and Sam didn't want to see Sara punished. What they wanted was for her to get help, so she could lead a productive life one day. The judge then summed up the case and announced her decision. Sara would be hospitalized for a period of no less than six months, during which time she would receive psychiatric counseling and whatever treatment the court-appointed doctors prescribed. And at the end of that time she would be re-evaluated.

Afterward, the lawyer Sara's father had hired assured them that she would never have to serve time in prison, that he would be able to work out a deal whereby her sentence would be commuted, and she would most likely be given parole for a period of at least two years. Of course all of this was dependent upon her regaining her mental health.

With this horrible chapter of their lives finally behind them, Jack and Sam went back home to Colorado Springs, where they finally began living the life they had dreamed of having. They also began planning for the expansion of their family. While Sam continued to go to work five days a week, Jack began turning their only remaining guest room into another nursery.

This time Sam was having a girl, and Jack wanted her room to be everything a little girl could want. So each day he painted and papered and put together furniture, and each day the room looked more and more like a palace fit for a princess. And finally when it was all done, he declared that he needed a break.

"How about a trip someplace nice? Just you and me?" he asked Sam one morning as they lay spooned up in bed together. Jack figured if they didn't get away together now, it would be many months before she would be able to go anywhere, especially due to the fact that she planned to nurse the new baby. Jack certainly didn't mind that Sam wanted to nurse, because her breasts would get so much larger. But he was already starting to feel like he had to make an appointment just to spend time alone with her. And he knew that once the new baby arrived, he would get even less of her undivided attention.

"I don't know, Jack. Do you really think it's a good idea? DJ has been very clingy lately," she replied, even though Jack's hand on her breast was very distracting.

"I know, but I'm sure Janet and Cassie could take care of him. He knows them so well that he probably wouldn't even miss us."

"I guess we could go away for a little while. Did you have someplace in mind?" Sam asked, shifting her hips from right to left. She heard Jack's intake of breath, and she knew she'd hit the right spot.

"Let me think about it," he hissed as he felt his cock slip between the cheeks of Sam's ass. "Lift your leg a bit, sweetheart. I'm gonna fuck the hell outa you," he declared as he nuzzled her ear.

Sam loved it when he talked dirty to her. She also loved it when he took charge, so she did as he asked, eager to feel him inside her once again. They didn't have sex as often these days, and when they did it was usually from behind, like now. She didn't mind, however, as she thought nothing felt better than to lay in Jack's arms while he took complete control.

One of his big hands cupped her right breast, while the other one slid down her belly and in between her thighs, where his long middle fingers delved between her folds, checking to make sure she was wet enough. Sometimes, like this morning, she needed a little help in that department. He knew this was a hormonal thing and not an indication of her disinterest in having sex, so he turned around and got the tube of lubricant they kept on the night table. Then, after applying a liberal amount to his cock, he entered her snug channel, marveling at the depth to which she could still take him.

Once he was completely seated inside her, Sam put her hand over his, and turned her head, offering her lips to his for a brief kiss. Then her hand moved down lower, where her fingers touched his cock, feeling his solid flesh where it entered her body. She also touched his balls, cupping them in her hand for a minute, until his desire to move required her to let go. He began pushing in and pulling out then, heat from the friction, as well as the self-warming lubricant, adding to the flames of her passion.

Meanwhile his fingers had found her clit and they began to rub it in small circles, stimulating the little nubbin till it was swollen and she was whining, "Yes! Yes!"

His hot breath huffed in her left ear as he repeatedly drove himself into her silky depths. Her body fit his perfectly, her response to him was sublime! She was all he ever wanted and more, and his love for her was almost too much to bear. It wasn't just this physical connection that he felt for her, it was something else that his simplistic mind could not understand or define. He just knew he loved her more than words could say, but he tried to tell her anyway.

"Love…you…wife," he said in a breathless staccato voice, as his need to come reached its pinnacle.

"I love you too….so much, Jack!" she cried, and then she felt his balls throbbing against her ass as he filled her with his love.

Jack's shout of ecstasy was muffled as he pressed his face into the crook of Sam's neck. He could feel her inner muscles holding him and milking him, her empathic cries of "Yes, more! Harder!" and her hand pressing down on his, telling him that she didn't want this moment to stop. So he pinched her clit between his finger and thumb, thus drawing out her climax as long as possible.

It wasn't until she relaxed her hold on his hand, that he moved both his hands to her breasts, massaged them while whispering sweet nothings in her ear. With his cock still inside her, he began squeezing and twisting her nipples, giving her what he knew she liked. It wasn't long before he could feel the walls of her channel fluttering around him once more.

Sam came all over again then, squealing into his mouth as she turned her head so he could kiss her on the lips. And his passion flared all over again too, and he could feel his cock swelling inside her. So he rotated his hips, moving himself around and around in her snug channel, while giving her an occasional hard thrust. And his cock grew even more, lengthening and hardening as Sam's body responded to his, flexing to allow him entry, and then tightening to keep him inside when he tried to pull out. Soon he was pounding into her again, harder than before, the urgency of his need making him forget everything else but his desire to fuck until he couldn't fuck anymore.

This time his climax took much longer to achieve, and when it finally happened, Jack thought he was having that stroke he was always joking about. But after the stars disappeared from his vision, and his heart rate slowed to normal, he kissed the side of Sam's pale, freckled neck, knowing he would live to fuck another day. So then he shut his eyes, feeling tired but satisfied.

When he woke up an hour later, Sam was not there in their bed.

He pulled on an old pair of jeans, and wearing nothing else he went to look for his very pregnant but very lovely wife. He found her out in the garage with DJ, who was toddling around the place like a mouse sniffing out the cheese. Just then he stopped at the waste basket and reached in, picking up a piece of hardened clay. Then dropped it on the concrete floor. "Oh, oh," he said as the clay broke into a hundred pieces.

"Hey there, Cadet! What are you and your mommy up to?" he asked as he swung the boy up in his arms. Sam was rooting around in a pile of stuff over on one side of the garage. It was the side where some of her things were being stored because there was no more room in the house.

"I'm looking for my luggage. Have you seen it?"

"Luggage? Why, are you going somewhere?" he asked, as he put DJ down. The boy immediately toddled back to the waste basket.

"You said you want to take a trip. I can't very well go to a nice hotel with a military duffle bag, now can I?"

"No, I guess not. But you sit down, while I look," he said, his hands at her waist as he stood behind her.

"Okay." Sam moved aside and sat down on the stool next to the workbench. Then she watched Jack look through the stacks of boxes and other items, enjoying the view of his bare back, especially the dimples above the waist of his jeans.

"Are you sure they're out here?" he asked after a few minutes.

"No, but keep looking. I'm enjoying myself."

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

He had bought the airline tickets without telling her where they were going. Even when she asked, all he would say was, "You'll see!"

Sam had to laugh at the 'naughty little boy' look on his handsome face. She loved seeing him like this, so happy and carefree, so she went along with his plans, whatever they were.

Now DJ was safe at Janet's house, and she and Jack were on their way to their romantic getaway for a week. But when they arrived at the gate and she saw the departure screen announcing the destination, Sam's mouth opened in surprise. She was also a bit disappointed.

"Duluth! We're going to Minnesota?" she asked incredulously. She had figured on somewhere like Hawaii or the Bahamas. Surely this was a joke?

"Yes, I thought it was about time you saw where I grew up," Jack said as he handed the airline employee their boarding passes.

"I thought you were from Chicago?"

"I was born in Chicago, but I grew up in Northern Minnesota with my Grandparents. Come on, Sam, you'll love it there," he assured her. So the two got on the plane.

Sam slept almost all of the three-hour flight, so when they reached Duluth she was more than ready to get outside and walk around a bit. But she didn't get to walk for very long, just across the street, and soon she found herself sitting in a car rental office watching as her angry husband pace back and forth across the office's linoleum floor.

"Did you hear him?! They don't even own any cars with four-wheel drive! How can a rental agency in Northern Minnesota not own vehicles with four-wheel drive?!" Jack fumed.

"Shush, Jack, let's just take what they have and get on our way. My ankles are swollen from sitting on the plane for the past three hours, so the sooner we get to where we're going, the better," Sam declared. "I hope the cabin has a bed."

"I told you we're not staying at the cabin, honey. We're just going so you can see it, and so I can find out what needs to be done to get it usable again." He thought it would be nice if they could take the kids up there from time to time, but he was sure it needed some TLC first. "Then we're going to the lodge at Sturgeon Lake. I've reserved a nice cabin for us. It even has a hot tub on the deck."

"Okay, whatever. Let's just go, okay?"

So Jack went to find the rental car agent, who Sam was sure had escaped the office to get away from her irate husband. And after Jack signed the agreement and gave the man his credit card information, they got into the little sedan. Three hours later they were in the heart of St. Louis County, where the towns were few and far between, and the snow was still melting on the ground, even though it was the first week of May.

As he drove the two-lane highway, Jack had been watching a storm front move in for the past hour, and though he didn't say anything to Sam, he was beginning to worry. The weather forecast had been for rain, not snow, but he thought the dark clouds looked like they were going to drop at least two inches of the white stuff. And the private road that led north from the highway to the cabin's driveway was already muddy and full of pot holes, so it wouldn't take much more for it to become impassable, at least in this stupid piece of crap car!

As it was, it took them another half hour to reach the cabin without breaking down. And by then Sam had to pee so badly that she would have gone just about anywhere. But even so the spider-infested bathroom was still a big disappointment to her.

"Jack, there are spiders in here!" she yelled, spying spiders' webs in every corner of the small room. She looked under the toilet seat, and not finding any bugs there, she sat down, although warily.

"I don't doubt it. I told you the place hasn't been used in years," Jack said as he came and stood in the doorway. He bit the inside of his cheek as he watched her, her swollen belly resting on her thighs. He knew she hated being so big, but he thought there was nothing more beautiful than his pregnant wife.

"We call those Daddy Long Legs," he said, grinning down at her. Her pink leggings and panties were bunched up around her sheepskin-lined boots (which he had bought her in Duluth), and her bulky, lime green sweater with the hot pink appliqués was stretched over her belly. With her blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail, he thought she looked a lot younger than her thirty-four years.

"I don't care what you call them; they make my skin crawl! Oh, crud, I forgot the toilet paper. Would you mind?" she asked, looking up at him.

Jack went outside to the car, where the bag of supplies they had purchased before they left the city sat on the floor behind the passenger seat. There was a general store in town, but Jack didn't plan to go into town until after they looked at the cabin, which he hoped wouldn't take very long.

With that thought on his mind, Jack looked up. The sky was getting blacker as the wind blew the storm in from the West. He still thought it looked like snow, even though the National Weather Service hadn't predicted anything more than a little rain. "What do they know? I could probably do as good a job simply by looking out the window," he bragged to himself.

Jack reached into the paper bag and found the roll of toilet tissue. On his way back inside the cabin he looked up at the roof. It looked okay from down on the ground, but he knew he needed to take a closer look. He also wanted to check and see if the generator still worked. And then they'd go into town and get a bite to eat before heading to the lake.

"Here," he said as he handed Sam the roll. She took it from him, removed the wrapping paper and unrolled a fistful.

"Don't forget you can't flush it, because the water's still shut off."

"What am I supposed to do when I'm done?" She was mostly a city girl. Even her military training hadn't prepared her for toilets that didn't flush, unless they were portable units like the military used, and even then there were chemicals that took care of the waste.

"Just leave it. I'll take care of it later with water from the cistern. I'm going out to the generator shed now. You gonna be alright for a few minutes?" he asked.

"Sure! I'm just pregnant, not…." She had been about to say she was not disabled, but she had stopped herself just in time. Jack had been doing quite well with his artificial limb, but now and then there were times went it bothered him. She knew this, even though he never complained. "I'll be fine," she said, but Jack was already gone.

Out in the shed Jack cleaned the spark plug before trying to start the generator. The thing was only necessary when the power went out. The cabin was connected to the main electric line that ran along the highway, but often in bad weather the lines would get blown down, or a transformer would get hit by lightning. So each time he came up there he always saw to the generator first, just in case.

Jack added gasoline to the empty tank and depressed the plunger a few times to prime the pump. Then he flipped the 'on' switch. Nothing happened. Next Jack removed the spark plug and dipped the end into the gasoline. Then he carefully screwed it back into the housing, connected the wire and tried the switch again. This time the engine came to life, sputtering at first but then catching and purring like a lion in a petting zoo. He let it run for a few minutes to get the gunk and grime out of the system, and then he shut it off, satisfied that it was working just fine, despite its age.

When he stepped out of the shed, the sky was still filled with gray and black clouds, but the wind had died down. The stillness reminded him of the eye of a hurricane, and he wondered how long he had before the sky opened up?

Now he hurried to check the roof for leaks, which he knew could lead to the total ruin of the eighty-plus-year-old cabin. His Grandfather had built it before his father's oldest brother was born. Grandpa O'Neill had used it mainly as a fishing and hunting lodge, although he sometimes took the kids there to teach them how to fish and how to swim. Jack had started going there as a small boy, and he considered it a real treat. He had been born in Chicago, an inner-city kid who learned to play baseball in the streets, and on the vacant lots in between the buildings. His father Patrick was a bank teller, and his mother Anne was an art teacher. They had a pretty nice life in their adopted city, but when his mother was diagnosed with cancer, they had moved back to Duluth to be near their families.

She had died six months later, when Jack was just nine. And then his father died in a car accident when Jack was twelve, and he had gone to live with his O'Neill Grandparents, who by then were living in the small town of Buhl. But Grandpa still went to the cabin regularly, and he often took Jack with him. So the cabin held a special place in Jack's heart, and now he wanted it to be a special place for his children too. But it was showing signs of neglect. He was disappointed to find that most of the roof needed to be replaced, and the siding was in bad shape too, and Jack realized he was going to need help to fix everything. He could fix a lot of things on his own if he lived here, but there was no way he could do even the minor repairs in just one week. Besides he wanted to spend time with Sam. So he'd just have to hire someone.

Sam had been looking out the window at the sky, or at least as much as she could see of it from inside the cabin. She wished Jack would hurry up, otherwise she was going to have to start cleaning. Everywhere she looked there was dust and dead bugs, and live things too. She'd seen a mouse in the cabinet under the sink! Finally, when she couldn't stand it anymore, she put on her coat and went outside.

"Hey, you about finished? It looks like there's a storm coming!" she called out from down below him in the front yard.

"I know! I'll be down in a minute. I just want to put a piece of tarp over this hole." There was one hole next to the chimney that was as big as his fist, which meant that water had already leaked into the attic. Jack wanted to put a stop to it now, even if it was just a temporary one. And then when they got into town he was going to hire someone to replace the entire roof including the plywood.

"There!" he said as he hammered in the last nail. He had tucked the piece of canvas tarp up under the row of shingles above the hole and nailed it down all the way around, so hopefully his quick fix would help keep out the water until he could get the roof replaced.

Just then Jack noticed the wind had begun to blow again, so he climbed down the ladder and put it and the hammer and jar of roofing nails away in the shed. Then he locked the padlock on the door and followed Sam inside the cabin, where he used the toilet before putting on his heavy coat.

"Okay, let's hit the road, Jack!" Sam quipped, clapping her hands together. She was sure the cabin might be nice under other circumstances, but right now she could really use a clean place to sit with her feet up. And she also wanted something to eat.

While Sam got into the car carrying her precious roll of toilet paper, Jack flushed the toilet using a bucket of water from the cistern. Then he got behind the wheel and they were on their way again. He felt disappointed that the weather had turned this bad, but he was still glad they had come, because now he knew some of the more urgent things that needed to be done to the cabin.

But now he had other more urgent problems. The wind was blowing from the West again, and the gray clouds were quickly being replaced with more black ones. They needed to get to town ASAP! But instead of speeding along like they could have in his truck, they seemed to be moving backwards.

The upper end of the road, which led into town, was even more filled with pot holes than the other end which led back to the highway, so Jack had to drive very slowly. They hadn't gone very far when it began to hail, golf-ball-like pieces of ice striking the car at a slight angle. And as the road became wetter and more slippery, Jack slowed down even more. Soon they weren't making much headway at all, and Jack could barely see. Too late to avoid a big hole in the old asphalt pavement, Jack jerked the steering wheel to one side. But he wasn't quick enough, and the car's left front wheel slammed down into the mud-filled hole. A loud sound under the car, and the feeling that the car had just dropped two feet, told Jack all he needed to know; their little rental car had a broken front axle.

"This is the last time I'm renting a car from that agency at the airport! The God damned axle's busted!"

"Oh, no! What do we do now?" Sam asked, her eyes as big as saucers.

"We walk."

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter fourteen

Jack knew that Sam was in good physical condition despite the pregnancy. Even so, he was regretting that he hadn't been more considerate of her condition. He was a selfish bastard! How could Sam feel anything but hatred for him?! But he shook off his feelings of insecurity, knowing that right now he had to keep his mind on the problem at hand. There would be plenty of time later for self-loathing.

"It's only a mile or so. You can make it, can't you?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Yes, I guess so," Sam replied, as he opened the car door. She turned to get out, but Jack stopped her.

"Wait a minute! Don't get out yet. I want to put a few of my things into your suitcase, so I won't have so much to carry." Jack ran around to the trunk, where he removed some of her clothes, like the bathing suit and cover up she had packed. Then he put a few of his things into her suitcase and zipped it up.

Once he'd gotten the bag of groceries from the back seat, he returned to her. "Alright, let's go," he said.

Sam got out and dropped the roll of toilet tissue into the grocery bag. Then she took the bag from him and started walking, while Jack walked alongside her carrying the much heavier suitcase.

"Sam, I'm really sorry about this. I guess I should have taken you to Hawaii or someplace like that," he said as they trudged along the muddy road. At least it had stopped hailing, so they weren't being battered by frozen ice.

"It's okay. In a way this is fun. It reminds me of that time on P2X-383. We had to walk for miles before we found a place dry enough to set up camp. Remember?"

"Oh, yah," he said, but he didn't really remember. One planet was pretty much like another to him, except for the ones where they'd escaped by the skin of their teeth, of course.

"You don't remember, do you?" Sam knew he only remembered the things that were important to him, but that was okay with her. He was good at his job, and he was courageous and caring, even if he was a little quick to judge others. His heart was in the right place, and that was what mattered to her, not how sharp his mind was.

"Not really," he admitted, although reluctantly. He knew that she could remember everything in great detail. "She must think I'm an idiot," he told himself disgustedly as they trudged along the muddy road.

"There was a hailstorm that day too. Daniel slipped in the mud and fell. He broke his glasses in half, and he kept trying to hold them on his face, until you grabbed them from him. Then you taped them together using the white surgical tape from the First Aid kit. Remember now?"

"Oh, yah. That was funny!" Jack laughed. Sam chuckled along with him, recalling how silly Daniel had looked with smudges of brown mud on his face and white tape holding the two halves of his eyeglasses together.

They walked on for a bit, when suddenly Sam blurted out, "I just wish I wasn't pregnant."

Jack's heart leapt up into his throat. "Here it comes. She's gonna tell me she's sorry she married me," he told himself.

Sam saw Jack's stricken expression and realized her mistake. "No, I mean I wish we had come here some other time. I certainly don't wish I wasn't pregnant," she quickly explained.

"I'm really sorry, Sam. Coming here was a really bad idea," he freely admitted. In fact, he felt so sorry that he wanted to get down on his knees and beg her to forgive him. But right now they needed to get someplace warm and dry.

"Stop saying that, Jack. It was basically a good idea, because it helps me get to know you better. I want to know everything about you."

"I want to know everything about you too," he said, suddenly realizing that he didn't really know that much about her childhood, except that she'd moved around a lot. "Tell me about when you were a kid," he said, his warm breath leaving little white clouds in the cold air.

"Well, we never lived in one place for very long. I was born in Virginia near Washington, DC. Dad was stationed at the Pentagon. But we moved away from there when I was three, so I really don't remember living there. Then we were in Indiana until I was nine. I remember my third grade teacher. Her name was Mrs. Andrews. She had a mustache, and all the boys laughed at her behind her back, but she was a really great science teacher." Sam smiled at the pleasant memory, but then she frowned suddenly as she felt the muscles in her belly seize up. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, as she continued to walk next to Jack as though nothing was wrong. After all, it was probably just false labor, and she didn't want to alarm him for no good reason.

"Is she the person who inspired you to become a scientist?"

"A little, I guess. But my real inspiration was Mr. Kennedy, my seventh grade teacher. By that time I was already taking accelerated mathematics and chemistry at the local high school, and he was telling my father that there wasn't anything I couldn't do, if I set my mind to it. At that time I decided to pursue a degree in chemistry and biology. I wanted to be an astronaut," she said, and then she took a deep breath and let it out slowly once again. The seizing sensation was becoming more intense with each step she took, and she couldn't stop thinking that it must be the real thing.

"I know. You told me once." Sam suddenly stopped walking, so Jack stopped too. "You okay?" He thought she looked more pale than usual.

"I'm not sure. How much farther is it?"

"About a quarter of a mile. Just past that power pole up there on the right. See it?" Jack pointed, and Sam nodded her head.

"Do you want me to carry you?" he asked. Jack was very worried. If anything happened to her or the baby because of his stupidity, he wasn't sure what he'd do!

"No, let's keep going," she said as she began walking again.

It took them another ten minutes to make it to the cabin, and by the time they reached it, Sam's belly felt as hard as a rock. Jack quickly pulled the dust cover off the bed, while she removed her coat. Then she laid down, while he turned on the heaters and built a fire in the fireplace. He also made sure there was plenty of wood in the box beside it.

When he returned to check on Sam, she had her hands on her belly and was rubbing it in circles. "It hurts, but I don't think I'm in labor. It's too soon," she said, trying to convince herself as much as him.

"Sara had false labor with Charlie. Maybe that's what it is?"

"Yes, that could be it."

"Did you have false labor with DJ?" He regretted that he knew nothing about her first pregnancy.

"No," she said as he sat down on the side of the bed. He took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, noting how small and white her hand was compared to his.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," he said simply, but Sam knew what he meant.

"I'm sorry too, but it was as much my fault as it was yours. I should have tried harder to see you after the surgery."

"I wasn't ready to face you. I was afraid of what you would think," Jack admitted for the first time. It had always been hard for him to talk about his feelings, but suddenly he was finding it easier to open up to her.

"I know, and I understand."

"I thought I was less of a man than before, that you wouldn't find me attractive or desirable."

"That's totally ridiculous! You're still as courageous and as heroic as the man I fell in love with," she insisted.

"Not as handsome?" he asked in a small voice.

"Yes, silly, you're just as handsome as ever! Hey, you know what?"

"What?"

"The cramping has stopped."

"Good! You stay here, and I'll go fix us something to eat."

"No! Help me up. I don't wanna be alone," she said as she sat up. She was feeling needy, and she wasn't too proud to admit it.

"You wouldn't be alone. There are plenty of creepy-crawlies in here to keep you company," he joked, a slow grin spreading across his face as he pulled her to her feet.

"Very funny," she replied, grinning up at him. Then Sam put her arm around his waist, hugging him tightly as they walked together to the sofa.

"I just wish I could clean this place," she said as she looked around the big room that held the kitchen and the living room. He had already removed the dust covering from the sofa, so Sam slowly lowered herself down, while holding onto Jack's hand.

"But you aren't going to lift a finger. You're gonna stay right here and rest. Turn around and put your feet up."

"Yes, Sir!" Sam turned sideways and put her feet up on the cushion, while Jack stuffed a pillow down behind her back. Then he went outside and turned on the water, praying that the pipes weren't frozen. Thankfully they were not, so he filled the tea kettle and boiled water for the dehydrated chicken flavored noodles they had bought in Duluth. They had bought the noodles just to satisfy Sam's craving for them, but now they might be their only meal for a while, and Jack felt terrible about it.

He also made Sam a cup of sweet herbal tea, and when both were ready he brought them to her, setting the mug down on the coffee table. Then he went back to the kitchen to get his cup of noodles. When he returned, he sat down on the floor next to her and tried to eat. But he didn't feel hungry. What he felt was angry at himself for being so selfish and thoughtless.

"I know this isn't the vacation you had in mind," he said, unable to continue eating. "You don't know how awful I feel," he admitted, dipping his head.

Sam touched his hair with her free hand, noting as usual how soft it felt. "Jack, please stop torturing yourself! We're together. That's what matters," she told him, and then she leaned over and kissed the back of his head.

They both went back to eating, and it wasn't long before they were finished with their meager meal. So Jack decided it was time he walked to the highway to see if he could get a signal on his cell phone. He talked to Sam about it, and she agreed it was worth a try.

A few minutes later….

"I hate to leave you," he told Sam as he put on his coat. She was just coming out of the bathroom, and when he looked at her face he knew by her strange expression that something was terribly wrong.

"I don't think you should go right now. The cramping is back and it's worse."

Jack tore off his coat and hurried to Sam's side, helping her to lay down on the bed. "Sam, I don't know what to do! If I hurry, maybe I can phone for help, or maybe someone will give me a lift into town. But if I stay here…."

"If you stay here, you can help me deliver your daughter. My water just broke," she informed him. Suddenly the bed beneath her hips felt very warm and wet.

"But it's too soon!"

"I know that and you know that, but apparently she doesn't."

"Will she be alright?"

"I don't know, but I do know I've already gained almost as much weight as I did with DJ, so hopefully she's big enough to survive."

"What should I do?"

"First I need to get out of these pants, and you need to find something clean and dry to put under me. And get me some warm water, soap and clean towels. I'll need to wash, and we'll need water to wash the baby," she told him, feeling sure of herself. She knew she could do this with Jack's help. She just hoped the baby was really ready to be born!

"This okay?" Jack pulled one of his undershirts out of her suitcase and tossed it to her as she scooted to the other side of the bed.

"Yes, it's fine," she replied. She held the soft white shirt up to her face and inhaled. It felt and smelled like Jack, and it made her feel safe and protected.

He went rummaging through the cabinets looking for clean towels and sheets. Fortunately he found some things that he had stored in plastic garbage bags the last time he was there. There was even a blanket. They smelled a bit musty, but they were about as clean as anything he was going to find in a cabin that hadn't been used in almost four years.

Meanwhile, Sam got completely undressed and put on the undershirt, which fit her loosely and was much more comfortable than the clothing she'd had on.

In the bathroom Jack ripped the shower curtain down. Then he brought it to the bed, folded it in quarters and laid it over the wet spot. Next he folded two towels in half and put them on top of the plastic curtain. Jack helped Sam move over onto the towels, and then he covered her up with a clean sheet and blanket. And then, satisfied that she was alright for the moment, he rushed to the kitchen.

Since the electric hadn't been on long enough for there to be hot water in the tank, he needed to heat water on the stove. So Jack filled a large pot, which he set on the back burner.

Jack came back to the bed then and sat next to Sam's hip, taking her hand in his. Sam stared up at him, seeing the love he felt for her written all over his worn and weary face. She thought he looked very tired and more afraid than she'd ever seen him look.

"Don't worry, Jack, everything will be alright. I can't believe I'm finally here. I'm really happy to be here, Jack," she assured him. And she was happy. She was thrilled to finally be in the one place that was so important to him. But mostly she felt truly amazed that her first trip to Jack's cabin was going to be one of the most important days of their lives.

Jack felt happy that she was there too. The last time he'd been there was after the second trip to Abydos, but he had come alone. After that he had invited his teammates to come up there with him, but each time they had refused, using one excuse after another. And now it looked like this old dusty cabin would be the place where his daughter would be born. And though Jack was very nervous, he was also happy that he could be here for Sam, and that their daughter would have a special connection to the old place.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter fifteen

Once the sheets on the bed were changed, Sam moved to the other side of the bed, away from the wet spot. Jack had laid two towels over top of the sheet, and now Sam positioned her hips on them, as she felt another contraction. This one was stronger than the others, and it made her feel like squeezing. She put her feet flat on the bed and opened her knees.

"You need to wash me first. Hurry! Go get a wash cloth and soap and water." Jack hurried to do as she asked. When he was finished, Sam gave him more instructions. He was really glad that she'd been through this before, because even though he'd had a child by his first wife, he'd been on assignment in the Middle East when Charlie was born.

"Jack, I want you to look and see how much I'm dilated. I don't want to push too soon."

"How can I tell when it's time to push?"

"If it looks like you could shove your fist up inside me, then it's time for me to push."

Jack bent over and stared. He could see something that resembled a softball, only it was covered in wet hair, and it was a bit bloody. Suddenly it occurred to him what it was. "Should I be able to see the top of her head?"

"Why? _Do_ you?"

"Yah, I think so. Either that or some guy already has his fist in there," he responded, finding humor in a serious situation. It was either that, or throw up his hands and run screaming from the cabin. Even though she seemed to think he could handle this, he wasn't at all certain.

Sam had an urge to laugh at Jack's remark, but the urge to push was even greater. So she sat up and grabbed her knees with both hands, while keeping her legs spread as wide as she could. Then she squeezed with all her might, her jaws clamped shut while she let out a long, fierce grunt.

"She's coming! You're doin it! Her head's out. Push some more!" Jack held his daughter's head in his hands, not knowing what else he could do but yell like a cheerleader on the sidelines.

"That's it, Sam! Good one! Push! Push again!" he cried, marveling at the wonderful sight before him. It was breathtaking, awesome and almost to amazing to be real, but all of a sudden he was no longer on the sidelines. He was in the game! He was the quarterback, and he was catching the football….or in this case his daughter.

"Got her! Oh, my God, Sam, she's beautiful!" He laid the crying baby across Sam's belly while he cut the umbilical cord. Then he used some of the still warm water and another clean cloth to clean her up a bit, beginning with her face. Finally he wrapped her in one of the clean towels and gave her back to Sam, who held her to her chest, encouraging the tiny baby to suckle at her breast.

A half hour later Sam had delivered the afterbirth and Jack had cleaned her up. Now she was leaning back in the bed, supported by her husband, who couldn't get enough of looking at his two favorite girls. The baby, who seemed to be just fine, was nursing contentedly.

"She looks perfect, Sam. Is it possible you were pregnant before you knew it?"

"Yes, I suppose I could have been. She's almost as big as DJ was when he was born."

"I wish I could have been there," he said as he gently stroked his daughter's downy head. Her hair was dark brown with red highlights, and her eyes were a very dark blue. But he knew both of those would change in time.

"Janet delivered him, of course, but Daniel was the one who coached me through the delivery."

"Daniel?"

"Uh huh! He even went to the birthing classes with me."

Jack was totally silent. There were no rude quips and no insulting comments about Daniel, so Sam looked back over her shoulder at her husband. She suspected that he was feeling a bit jealous of Daniel. And though she thought it was silly for him to feel that way, she was also glad that he did. But never the less she didn't want him to stew over it for very long. After all, today was a happy day, and she didn't want anything to ruin it for him.

"Have you decided what you want to name her?" she asked, hoping the subject of naming their daughter would be enough to take his mind off the other matter. They had been discussing names for the baby for many months, and now that it was time to choose, she wanted Jack to have the privilege. After all, she had named their son.

"Yep!"

"What?"

"Elizabeth Anne, after our mothers."

"I think it's the perfect name for her, Jack. And I know they would be proud of her….and of you," she assured him. And then she tipped her head back and looked up at him with love in her eyes. "Thank you for being here for us." And then they kissed.

The next morning the sky was clear, and Sam and the baby were doing fine, so Jack walked to the highway where he was able to phone for help. The local authorities sent an ambulance, and two hours later Sam and little Elizabeth were washed and dressed in clean clothes and were safely tucked into clean beds in the nearest hospital. Jack slept in the chair next to Sam's bed, or on the sofa in the waiting room, until Sam insisted she wouldn't be able to sleep until he went to a motel. So he did, but only for a few hours each night.

Three days later Sam and _Beth_, which is what Jack had started calling his daughter almost right away, were declared well enough to travel, and were released from the hospital. Then the three O'Neills flew home to Colorado, where they were greeted by the fourth O'Neill whose favorite new word quickly became … you guessed it … _baby_.

Janet met them on the front porch, holding DJ in her arms. "Baby!" DJ yelled, reaching his pudgy little hands toward his newborn sister.

"Yes, that's the baby. But what about _me_? Aren't you glad to see your old man?" Jack asked as he took DJ out of Janet's arms. But DJ ignored Jack, his attention fully focused on the new thing his mother was carrying. Janet was equally enthralled.

"Oh, Sam, she's perfect!" Janet had seen a lot of new babies before, but this one had to be the most beautiful baby she'd ever seen. "Cassie will be so upset that she didn't get to see her." Cassie was at school and wouldn't be home for two hours.

"Come over tonight," Sam suggested, and Janet nodded. Then Sam turned to her son, who was still reaching toward the baby. "Remember we told you about your new baby sister? Well, here she is. Her name is Beth."

"Baby!" the boy shouted again. Sam stepped closer and allowed DJ to touch his sister, glad that she had prepared him for Beth's arrival. But, even though he'd been told not to stick his fingers in her eyes, nose or mouth, curiosity got the better of him. At least one of his fingers hit a spot the baby liked, and DJ squealed with delight when Beth sucked on his finger. But then he pulled it out of her mouth, giving his mother a worried look, while holding his finger up for her to see. "Ouwee!" he declared pitifully.

"You're okay, DJ. She didn't hurt you. She just sucked on your finger. It means she's hungry," Sam explained.

"Ba-ba!" the toddler cried, as though the solution to the baby's problem was obvious. The boy's reaction caused Jack to look at his son with renewed pride. The boy was as smart as a whip, just like his mom.

"Thank you for everything, Janet," Sam said sincerely as she hugged her friend.

"I really didn't do that much. This little guy is a cinch to take care of," she said as she tickled DJ's tummy. DJ laughed and tried to push her hand away, while Janet looked up at Jack, a man she would always admire, even if was a stubborn, smart-assed SOB from time to time.

"I think Jack is the one who deserves your thanks, Sam. I understand you did a really great job with the delivery, Colonel. Sorry, old habits are hard to break," she added, shaking her head.

"I didn't do it all, and I had a great coach," Jack responded, as he gazed lovingly at his wife.

After Sam promised to phone Janet later, they said their good-byes and the O'Neills went home as a family of four for the very first time.

After her maternity leave was over, Sam went back to work in the SGC lab, while Jack took care of Beth and DJ. But he wasn't their care giver all of the time. Sometimes the children stayed in the daycare center at the SGC or at Janet's house, so that Jack could do other things. Once a month he drove to Purgatory to deliver pots to Olie, and two days a month he went to the SGC to speak on 'gate travel and its dangers and rewards'.

The first day that Jack lectured, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c stood at the back of the room and listened to their ex-CO talk about the things that had happened to him and to them on their various missions, and they knew without a doubt that there would always be a need for Jack at the SGC. They could tell from the rapt looks on the faces of the cadets that this was where Jack belonged. He still had something to give; he was still a hero!

That evening when Sam got home from work, she noticed that the house literally sparkled, and something smelled good too. She was about to go in the kitchen to find out what Jack was fixing for dinner, when she noticed something different. So, after hanging up her jacket, she stepped down into the living room, where she admired a photo arrangement that hadn't been there just the day before. The pictures were a mix of his and hers from their childhoods, and seeing them hanging close together on the living room wall made Sam smile.

As she walked around the room she noticed a few other new additions as well, like her late Mother's silver tea service sitting on a table by the bookcase. And then she spotted it. There on the mantel was the statue she had bought in Purgatory, the one she had felt a connection to, even before she found out that Jack had made it in her image.

"I didn't hear you come in. Are you tired?" he asked, as he came up behind her. Jack put his arms around Sam's waist and kissed the side of her neck.

"Not very. What did you have in mind?"

"I thought maybe you could reenact the pose that inspired me to make the statue," he suggested.

"I'd have to be wet first. I meant from the shower, you naughty man," Sam giggled when she saw his eyes roll.

"No giggling, Captain," he rebuked her, but his voice was sinfully playful.

"Major," she said as she spun around in his arms.

"What?"

"General Hammond told me today that I'm getting a promotion…and my very own lab!"

"It's about time! I think this calls for a celebration. The kids are both asleep. Go get undressed, and I'll be right there."

A bottle of champagne stood open on the dresser beside two half-filled glasses. The sounds of water running and people moaning filled the otherwise quiet house.

Inside the bathroom the air was hot and steamy. Water poured down over the two lovers, as Sam leaned her back against the cool tile wall of the shower, Jack's long hard cock buried deep inside her pussy. With his hands holding her waist and her right leg up over his left hip, he began to move his hips forward and back and around in circles, as he thrust into her repeatedly. But he knew this wouldn't be enough to get her off, so he moved his hands, kneading and caressing her butt until she was moaning encouragingly, her eyes almost closed.

Then Jack's left hand fondled Sam's right breast, squeezing the nipple between his finger and thumb, causing a rivulet of milky fluid to trickle from it and run down her breast and ribcage, while his other hand gripped her slender hip. He was leaning on Sam a bit in order to keep from losing his balance, not that she seemed to mind. So Jack just relaxed and did what he needed to do to make her feel happy and satisfied.

Following the trail of neatly trimmed pubic hair, his fingers soon found their way to her clit, where they worked and worried it until she was crying out in ecstasy, while he continued to thrust deep inside her. Then, while Sam was still in the throes of her orgasm, Jack started pounding into her harder, eager to find his release. Soon he was coming, spraying his seed inside her as his cry was muffled against the skin of her throat, and at that same moment Sam was climaxing for a second time, her inner walls milking him of every last drop.

Once they had caught their breath, Jack leaned on the shower wall with one hand, so that Sam could rinse off. "Now you've done it," she said as she scrubbed her breasts with both hands. He looked down at her breasts and smiled. Milk was seeping from her nipples and running down her chest in thin rivulets.

"Looks like I still have some work to do," he said with a wicked grin. And then he bent his head down and sucked on the breast he had neglected, drinking from her greedily.

Sam hugged Jack's head to her breast, wishing their lives could be like this forever! Loving Jack had never been easy, but now she knew without a doubt that loving him was worth all the effort, and that loving him was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. No job, no career, no promotions could ever give her the feelings of fulfillment, and satisfaction that she got from being with Jack or from having his children.

"I should probably feed Beth," she said as she ran her fingers through Jack's hair.

"Naw, let her get her own," he said around her nipple, and Sam smiled to herself. He might be an honest-to-God hero part of the time, but most of the time he was just a big kid.

THE END


End file.
